About 1st Worthing Scout Group
Scouting in Worthing has been part of the local community for well over a century. It began on 5th January 1912 when Mr G V Paine, supported by the Worthing Clergy, founded the first group with its headquarters at St Edward’s Hostel in Clifton Road. By June 1913 they had moved to St Paul’s Rooms in Richmond Road and formally became the 1st Worthing Boy Scout Group.
From those early beginnings the movement grew quickly. By 1922 a warrant had been issued covering Worthing, Goring-by-Sea, Findon and Lancing, and that same year Robert Baden-Powell himself attended the first Sussex Rally at the Dripping Pan in Lewes. The 1st Worthing troop purchased an ex-Army hut from Shoreham Camp for £65 and erected it on High Street — humble beginnings for what would become a thriving district. Within a year the troop had grown to 82 members and had to be split into three separate groups.
The group played its part during both World Wars, with Scouts assisting at recruiting offices, supporting the ARP Service as messengers, and helping communities through the difficult years of the 1940s. By 1940 district membership had reached over 900.
Today, 1st Worthing Scout Group continues that long tradition. We run four active sections — Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts — welcoming young people aged 4 to 14 from across Worthing. Our leaders are all volunteers who give their time because they believe in what Scouting does: building confidence, resilience, friendships and skills that genuinely last.
More than 110 years on from that first meeting in Clifton Road, the spirit of the group is exactly the same — giving young people in Worthing the chance to try new things, go on adventures, and be part of something bigger than themselves.