SCOUTING could be injected into children’s hospital wards in a major operation to involve a wider cross section of the community.

The move comes as a Hampshire Scouting chief says they should try to reach the 90 per cent of young people who are currently not taking part in the youth organisation.

County Commissioner Adam Jollans said they might need to think differently in some cases.

He said they had to encourage more young people from different faiths and ethnic backgrounds to join.

A Muslim Scout group had recently opened at Basingstoke, he said.

Mr Jollans also spoke about developing Scouting on the inner-city streets, tower blocks and across sprawling council estates where affording the uniform might be a challenge, let alone the camp or activities.

More also needed to be done to enable young people with special needs to get involved.

This could range from oneto- one support so a youngster could take part in evening meetings or camps to establishing Scouting in children’s hospitals wards.

Writing in the latest Hampshire Scout News, Mr Jollans says: “This is all about inclusion and diversity. Like many others I watched the Olympics and Paralympics and marvelled at how inclusive they were.

“Sadly, Scouting is not as diverse as our communities and schools or even as we would like it to be.

“Although anyone can in principle join there are barriers of both perception and reality and this means that many young people from different backgrounds do not join.

“Is this perhaps because they feel Scouting would not welcome them on their terms and it should it be us that reaches out the hand of friendship?”

Mr Jollans revealed that over the coming months they would be forging ahead with a number of initiatives to make Hampshire Scouting more inclusive and diverse.

Spelling out the Scouting For All message, he added: “I believe that every young person aged six and above should have the opportunity to join Scouting and benefit from the adventure, fun and friendship that it offers.”