Partly because Scouting was born in the UK and partly because of our imperial past, there are elements of British Scouting throughout the world. Generally these fall into three categories.
UK Scouting Abroad
British Groups Abroad
In today's world, people find themselves working and living in another country, sometimes for short periods but often for extended ones. Where they are able to take their families, expatriates will want to see their daughters and sons able to carry on their Scouting.
British Groups Abroad is the largest geographical County in UK Scouting. It covers all parts of the world excluding the UK, parts of Western Europe and the Overseas Branches of the Association. The County is subject to huge fluctuations as a result of the political situation in various regions. The County ranges from 27 to 40 Groups in 15 to 25 countries.
Overseas Branches
With the development of the Commonwealth over the years many Commonwealth countries formed their own independent Associations, having originally been part of the United Kingdom Association. Examples are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India and Kenya.
Some independent Commonwealth countries have relatively small Scout populations and, to remain Scouts, have continued to be an Overseas Branch of UK Scouting. These are: Antigua & Barbuda, St Kitts & Nevis, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Other Branches are to be found in British Overseas Territories. These are: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Turks & Caicos Islands.
For organisational convenience and to ensure support is available for single Scout Groups on some British Overseas Territories, a number of such groups are administered as British Groups Abroad. These are: Ascension Island, Falkland Islands and St Helena.
A recent addition to the support offered to the Branches is the Branches Bulletin, issued three to four times a year. Previous editions can be downloaded here.
British Scouts Western Europe
Covering parts of Western Europe, the Scout Area of British Scouts Western Europe [BSWE] offers British style Scouting to British expatriat communities. Administratively part of the South of England Region, their Chief Commissioner is one of the Chief Commissioners of England.
