A newsletter takes time because you copy dates, costs and badge news from one place to another, and they go out of date. Live data blocks do that part for you. You add a block to any email, and it fills with your group's own information when the email is sent.
Where to find this
- Open Email and start a new email (or open a template).
- In the composer toolbar, click Insert block.
- Under Live data · fills itself when sent, choose a block.
The five live data blocks
| Block | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Upcoming events | Trips and camps coming up, with dates, cost and a link |
| Meeting programme | What's planned at the next few weekly meetings |
| Achievements | Badges earned recently |
| Helpers needed | Events still short of parent helpers |
| Open surveys | Surveys parents can still answer |
Only events that families can already see are listed, so a draft or cancelled event never appears.
Choosing what a block shows
When you choose a block, a settings panel opens. The settings depend on the block:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Heading | The title above the block |
| Sections | Leave empty for all sections, or pick some. Whole-group events are always included |
| Look ahead | How far ahead to look for events or meetings |
| What to include | For events: Weekly meetings, Trips and activities, Camps |
| Show at most | The largest number of items the block lists |
| Badges earned in the last | For Achievements: how far back to count badges |
| Name who earned them | For Achievements: shows each young person as first name and initial, such as "Ada L" |
| When there's nothing to show | A line to show if the block is empty. Leave it blank to leave the block out |
As you change a setting, Live preview from your data shows the block with your group's information as it stands now.
What happens when you send
On the email, a live data block shows today's information and an Updates when sent label. That label is a reminder: the block is not fixed text.
When the email goes, Scoutworks fills each block with the information at that moment. This applies to emails you send straight away and to scheduled emails. A newsletter you schedule on Monday for Friday shows Friday's events. The copy in your Sent folder keeps what families actually received.
If a block has nothing to show and you did not add a line for that, it is left out of the email, so families never see an empty heading.
Opening with a banner
The Banner block (under Insert block) puts a headline on your group's brand colour at the top of an email. Fill in a Small line above (such as "Term newsletter"), a Headline and some Text. It takes the colour from your group's email branding.
What's next
- Email Templates — start from a designed newsletter in the Template gallery.
- Sending Emails to Parents — choose recipients and schedule the email.
- Branding Your Group's Emails — set the logo and colour your newsletter uses.
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What's next?
Related guidesEmail Templates
How to add ready-made templates from the gallery, create your own, and use them for common emails.
Read articleSending Emails to Parents
How to compose and send emails to parents from Scoutworks, including recipient selection and access points.
Read articleBranding Your Group's Emails
How to add your group's logo, colours, and footer details to the emails leaders send to parents, plus how to set up your personal signature.
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