Lead away permit

What is the Lead Away permit?

Rangers and young leaders have the exciting opportunity to work towards the Lead Away permit - aimed at equipping you with the skills and knowledge to lead your friends on residential trips away. The permit will boost your leadership skills, experience and confidence and also empower you to make the right decisions when things don't go to plan.

The Lead Away permit enables you to take between four to eight Rangers or young leaders (including yourself) away for a residential experience for two nights or more.

The permit is made up of seven challenges, which you can complete individually or in sets. Each challenge covers a different area of how to plan and run a residential event.

What do I have to do?

You can complete the seven challenges in any order you’d like. There is some overlap between challenges, so there’ll be things you need to do alongside each other.

• Challenge one: Get started
• Challenge two: Get sorted
• Challenge three: Get safe
• Challenge four: Get healthy
• Challenge five: Get cooking
• Challenge six: Get activities
• Challenge seven: Get away

Challenge seven is split into two parts (camping or indoor accommodation). Depending on the type of residential you are planning, you’ll only have to complete one part of this challenge.

Remember: Parental consent is required for all participants under 18 years old. Check out our guidance on girl-led residentials for everything you need to run your event safely.

Compatibility with other guiding qualifications 

Some of the above challenges are equivalent to those in the Going Away With Scheme. If you’ve completed your Lead Away permit, and want to do your Going Away With license, have a chat to your Going Away With mentor about which parts you can get signed off. 

If you have completed the Guide Camp Permit, there are also some parts of the Lead Away permit you can have signed off.

There’s more information in the Lead Away permit guidance notes below about how the different qualifications map across to each other.

The Ranger programme

There are lots of activities in the Ranger programme that can help you prepare for your Lead Away permit. Check out the Explore and Camp skills builders to get you started. You can also do your Duke of Edinburgh's award for even more adventure!

Guidance for supporting volunteers

If you’re a leader, mentor, commissioner or adviser supporting a Ranger or young leader on their Lead Away permit, check out our guidance notes for lots more helpful information.