SCOUT and cub packs in the Forest of Dean are calling for more help with groups at Lydney and Parkend in particular finding it desperately hard to replace leaders they have lost.

In the case of the 1st Aylburton and Lydney pack – the oldest group in the Forest – a huge gap has been created by the appointment of former Lydney co-leader Roger Thorne as District Commissioner for the Forest area.

It leaves fellow leader Steve Morse taking charge of the group on his own – and unless he gets more help he is only allowed to conduct activities with a limited number of young people.

"It would mean me for instance cutting down the senior Scouts to 6 from 18 under the rules we have for the ratio of supervisors to Scouts or Cubs," said Mr Morse.

"Obviously there is a problem too with keeping interesting activities going with only one person organising and running things."

He said volunteers would be fully trained by the Scout movement and the ongoing commitment was only a few hours a week and a couple of weekends per year for camps and so on. But it was great fun as well as very rewarding.

"Obviously we need a new Scout leader but the situation here, where there is a waiting list for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, is that the more help we get the more we can do. That means a bigger membership and more activities."

Mr Morse and District Commissioner Roger Thorne both feel that the Scouts have had an image problem in recent years, especially regarding press coverage of adventures that have gone wrong, and cases where leaders have faced charges of abuse.

Factors such as this might be holding back potential leaders and in many cases hitting membership.

"These stories all ignore the massive amount of good work achieved by the movement," said Mr Morse.