The Scouts are not just about camp-fire singalongs, map-reading and knot-tying – they have moved into business with the launch of an
Entrepreneur Badge.
Watch out for teenage start-ups emerging from your local Scout Hut.
The Scouts say they have always fostered creativity and team-building, and now they want to encourage youngsters to be more entrepreneurial.
To win the badge (which carries the symbol of a rising bar chart) Scouts have to tackle 'Mind for Business' challenges. Simple ones are untying a pair of string handcuffs and joining the dots. Others go up to 'creating a successful Scouting enterprise' and pitching a business idea to a Dragons' Den style panel of leaders, parents or local business people.
The scheme is the brainchild of businessman Richard Harpin. The founder of an insurance company, he was a Scout himself and he's put half a million into funding the award.
If you run a small business and want to help with the scheme, get in touch with your local Scout group.
