I was a scout between 2010 and 2014, in 2011 I went on a scout trip to Europe, on that trip if we got in trouble they would take the money we had been given to us by our parents/ guardians, and they would dock it.

I remember being accused of lying by this one scout leader, they deducted money from me despite no evidence i had lied. It was a combined trip between us and another scout group, the leader of the other scout group was particularly horrible. I was 11 years old at the time, from my memory we were called Bitches by a scout leader and bullying from older kids wasn’t taken seriously. When myself and two friends got left in a shop in a city we didn’t know, we got in trouble for staying at the shop and not trying to go find the group, and money was deducted from us. I remember complaining of being made to do the washing up more than the older boys and us being told off for complaining and made to wash up in the dark late in to the night. My memory is hazy but I remember older kids bullying us and nothing being done , scout leaders joining in calling us cry babies.

There was definite favouritism to the older boys. I remember going up a mountain in the mini van with like 3 people on one chair. I remember rumours about sexist and racist language being used by leaders.

This was an ongoing theme through out my experience of scouts, I remember being told that I couldn’t be a patrol leader cos they already had one “girl” leader. I remember cruel games to trick us and a kid being made to run around a field in the middle of the night because they were being noisy. I remember bullying and sexual harrasment from other scouts and little education or support.. I remember being told off by scout leaders for wearing too short shorts and being told that if we dressed certain way it make us sluts.