Young people from the 25th Stirling (Dunblane) Boys’ Brigade took part in a sponsored 15km walk to raise awareness of the organisation and the benefits of being part of a youth group.

Fifty members, aged 11 to 14, hiked from Dollar to Glendevon and back as part of their Growing Bigger, Growing Better campaign, which runs until the end of this month and aims to boost the brigade’s membership by 10 per cent by encouraging youngsters to get involved with one of the organisation’s 450 groups across Scotland.

Paul Christmas, captain of the 25th, said: “Fifty of our members donned their walking boots and took to the Ochils to raise awareness for The Boys’ Brigade.

“The Growing Bigger, Growing Better campaign was a superb initiative aimed at raising awareness and showcasing the range of enjoyable activities available.

“We chose to walk, as hiking and expedition work are a big part of our programme, and the boys did so well walking from Dollar to Glendevon and back, covering 15km each.

“We also raised £2,500 for our BB funds in the process. It was a great day.” The 25th Stirling (Dunblane) boys’ efforts were part of a national campaign which saw all companies around Scotland walking, running and cycling in the hope of reaching a combined 1000km covered – the equivalent to travelling the length and breadth of Scotland.

Bill Stevenson, director of The Boys’ Brigade Scotland, added: “It is really encouraging to see so many of our companies in Scotland take part in Growing Bigger, Growing Better. To date, our members have travelled over 575km so we’re well on our way to achieving our 1000km target.

“This is a great example of the role our young people play in helping to boost membership. By encouraging them into the local community through fun, outdoor events like this, we can help raise awareness of The Boys’ Brigade and the benefits membership can bring.” The Boys’ Brigade has around 20,000 young members aged 5 to 18 around Scotland.