Every term seems to end with a mountain of unclaimed jumpers, water bottles and single gloves — and no idea whose they are. The Lost Property board turns that pile into something parents can actually claim. Snap a photo of anything left behind, and parents spot their child's kit from home and let you know it's theirs. You hand it back at the next meeting, and clear whatever's left in one go at the end of term.
Where to find this
Click Lost Property in the sidebar, under Resources. Group admins and leaders manage the board; parents get their own read-and-claim view (covered in What parents see below).
The board is organised into three tabs:
| Tab | What it holds |
|---|---|
| In the box | Items that have been logged but nobody has claimed yet. The count turns amber whenever there's anything waiting. |
| Claimed | Items a parent (or you) has claimed but that haven't been handed back yet. |
| History | Items that have been returned to their owner or donated. |
Logging a found item
When something's left behind, click Log item and fill in the sheet. Only a description is required — the rest helps parents recognise their kit, so add what you can while it's fresh.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Description | Required. What the item is — e.g. "Grey Scout hoodie, age 8–9". |
| Photo | Strongly recommended. A clear photo is what lets a parent recognise their child's kit from home. |
| Date found | When it turned up. |
| Where was it found? | Optional — e.g. "Main hall", "minibus", "campsite". |
| Notes | Optional. Anything that helps identify the owner — a name tag, a distinctive mark. |
Click Log item to save. It lands in the In the box tab straight away, and parents can now spot it.
Handing an item back
Most items get claimed by a parent from home (see below). When you hand the item over at the next meeting, open it and mark it Returned — it moves to the History tab. There's also a friendly nudge when you do: "Returned to its owner — great work!"
If a parent mentions an item in person, you can record it yourself: open the item, choose Record a claim, and note who it's for. If something was claimed by mistake, Back in the box returns it to the unclaimed pile.
What parents see
Parents open the same Lost Property entry in their sidebar and see everything currently in the box, with photos. When they recognise their child's kit, they tap This is ours, pick which of their children it belongs to, and add an optional note. They'll see "Claimed! The leaders will hand it back at the next meeting."
Claimed items show up in their own list at the top of the parent's page, labelled with the child's name, so both you and the parent know what's waiting to be collected.
Clearing the box at the end of term
When the box has built up and it's time for a clear-out, click Clearout (it appears whenever there are unclaimed items). This clears everything still sitting in In the box in one go — handy for the end-of-term "donate the leftovers" sweep — so you're not deleting stray items one at a time.
What's next
- Getting Started with Equipment — set up equipment management for your group's shared kit.
- Issuing and Tracking Uniform — manage polos, neckers and woggles issued to named members.
- Getting Started as a Parent — what parents can see and do in Scoutworks.
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What's next?
Related guidesGetting Started with Equipment
How to set up equipment management, add your first items, and organise categories and storage locations.
Read articleIssuing and Tracking Uniform
How to manage group polos, neckers and woggles — catalogue items with size variants, track stock per section, issue uniform to named members or volunteers, and handle returns and write-offs.
Read articleGetting Started as a Parent
How to accept your invitation, set up your account, and navigate the parent portal.
Read article