THE Scouts St George's Day Parade in Skipton at the weekend has been hailed as the largest parade for years.

All five scout groups across the South Craven District paraded from Petyt Grove up the High Street to Holy Trinity Church for a St George's Day service on Sunday.

Led by the 1st Kildwick and Farnhill Band, scouts came from 3rd and 5th Skipton, 1st Kildwick and Farnhill, 1st Bradley, and 1st Embsay and Eastby.

The scouts, part of a district which is one of the fastest growing in the country, were supported by crowds of people along the route who went along to watch the procession on the closed High Street.

And in church, the Rev Doug Rice-Bowen gave a homily on the theme of service to others, while representatives from 1st Embsay and Eastby Scout Group led the prayers and readings.

Following the service, all the scouts renewed their promises as part of the worldwide scouting movement.

The South District has been one of the fastest-growing scout districts in the country for the past two years, with scout numbers increasing rapidly thanks to expansion of existing groups, new groups starting up, and the introduction of 'squirrel scouts' for children aged four to six years old.

Andy Stronach, South District commissioner, said: “I am incredibly proud of all our scouts for their hard work and enthusiasm. It’s fantastic to see so many young people taking on the values of scouting, and St George’s Day is an opportunity to bring all groups together to celebrate our shared values and commitment to service.

"I would also like to thank all the wonderful volunteers who put in so much time and effort to make scouting happen in South Craven.”

A spokesperson for South Craven District Scouts thanked Skipton Town Council for organising the road closures and Holy Trinity Church for hosting the St George’s Day service.

One of the scout leaders, who wished not to be named, said: "Numbers at this year’s parade were higher than they have been since at least the turn of the millennium, which is an amazing achievement.”

South Craven District Scouts is looking for volunteers, both in child-facing roles in scout groups across the district and behind the scenes on the trustee board.

Anyone interested in volunteering with the scouts, is asked to contact Andy Stronach at dc@southcraven.nys.org.uk.