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Original poster

BEAVERS CLUB - Safety issues or 90s approach to childhood?

104 replies

Alelou · 11/02/2026 20:11

Hi 👋 my 6 year old son recently joined Beavers and is having a brilliant time. But I can’t help but feel uneasy about the approach to safety during the sessions. It seems the gate outside the hut is left open and the front door to the hut is also open so anyone can walk in at any time although I’m sure the leaders would notice if a kid walked out. At the end of the session kids just scramble and run around, running outside to go and play in the playground but no one is checking if the right parents are taking the right kids.

I don’t know if I’m being affected by too many scary headlines but I find it hard to relax when he’s in the club.

For those have kids in beavers is this all normal?

My friend said her rainbows is the same and my husband thinks I’m being ridiculous. He thinks it’s ‘relaxed’ but really good for DS. It does seem like a time warp of 90s childhood activities at Beavers which is great but the 90s approach to safety issues worry me a bit!

Am I overreacting? Thanks! X

OP posts:

finbow · 15/02/2026 21:08

BertieBotts · 15/02/2026 13:17

I live in Germany and it is like the description of Switzerland, although it's not actually true any more that ALL children get themselves to school, it IS common for children to get themselves to and from school - probably 90% in Klasse 2 and older (which is equivalent to UK Year 3) and over half in Klasse 1 by this point in the school year. Everyone is assigned to their local primary school and while you can change this if you have a good reason, most people just stay with it. There is a sense of communal responsibility. Adults would help out a younger child who looked as though they were lost or in trouble.

There are still teenagers hanging around looking intimidating but it's not as common a sight as it is in the UK. There are places for teenagers to go and things for them to do, so they tend not to hang out on street corners. They can legally drink in bars (wine/beer only) from 16, although this doesn't seem common among my eldest's peer group.

Not sure what the "unsavoury characters" are about but if you mean housing for young male immigrants from largely non-white cultures, we have those too and our far right politicians/press like to stir up distrust about them too. As far as I can tell, when incidents do occur around these dwellings they tend to be mainly self-contained ie they are young possibly traumatised, almost definitely stressed out men who have been placed in a culture which is not their own in not especially nice living conditions. It tends to result in fallings out between the men, and as they are young men with not much elder guidance that tends to result in violence. And then some do commit crimes against locals, roughly at the same rate that local men of a similar age and social class commit them, suggesting this aspect is not anything to do with their cultural or ethnic background.

By unsavoury characters near schools I meant pedophiles/ hebephiles.
(I love Germany, by the way.)

Acommonreader · 15/02/2026 22:17

Alelou · 11/02/2026 20:26

Thank you so much this is all so interesting. Maybe I will volunteer to be doorman 😂 it’s not within a school but a dedicated hut with a small play area with an open gate onto the street.

Can someone tell me, are the volunteers who run it DBS checked? I understand that I sound like a total helicopter mum at this point but I feel embarrassed to ask the volunteers themselves 🙈

The volunteers will have DBS checks and lots of training. Please do volunteer to be part of the Beavers. Most groups really need more adults.

BertieBotts · 16/02/2026 12:31

Well most convicted pedophiles have restrictions meaning they are not allowed to go too near to schools. I know you can't always rely on this and of course not all get caught. But most child abuse happens via grooming rather than random abduction. I think the benefits of the independence and freedom are worth this small risk but I appreciate everyone will make their own call here.

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Gossipisgood · 16/02/2026 14:01

I'd raise your concerns with the group leader as I'd not be too happy with the doors being unlocked while my child was there or for them to be outside unsupervised at the end. We all have a duty of care to children therefore if you see something that appears dangerous or safety could be tightened up it's worth speaking up.

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