The state contribution to the scouts association will increase from €50,000 to €75,000, with a further €100,000 approved for scout camps, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a ceremony at the presidential palace where 110 young people received the republican scout degree, Christodoulides said the government would continue to support the movement.

He remarked that financial support for the scouts was “not an accounting transaction for us, it is not an expense, but an investment in the future of our homeland”.

The president, who himself was previously involved in scouting as a wolf cub and air scout, described his involvement as “one of the wisest choices” his parents had made.

He said scouting promoted altruism and solidarity at a time when “alienation and individualism prevail”, and praised the recipients for their “continuous, tireless, discreet and, above all, selfless” contribution.

Scouting in Cyprus began in 1914 on the initiative of Charalambos Nicolaides, a gymnast at Pancyprian gymnasium.

Christodoulides said the movement had long since been associated with the country’s social history, from the liberation struggle to the response of hundreds of scouts to the Turkish invasion of 1974.

He commended scouts for having also responded to calls for assistance following natural and man-made disasters.

The republican scout degree is the movement’s highest distinction and recognises the completion of a demanding period of training, service and responsibility.

Christodoulides said the skills developed through scouting, including discipline, cooperation, teamwork, responsibility and decision-making, were “life supplies”.

The scouts association said the awards recognised the efforts of the 110 recipients while highlighting the role of non-formal education and volunteerism in developing active and responsible citizens.