Refurbishing the Scout Hut
Our Main Aim… Bringing 1st Market Bosworth Scout Group into the 21st century and creating a legacy for years to come!
Simon Jeffers “Unicorn” – Group Scout Leader
History
In 2017 I joined Market Bosworth Scout group and entered the Scout Hut. It took me back years to when I was a Scout in London, the smell, the equipment and other adults also mentioned it to me. “Wow!” they would say, “it reminds me of when I was young”. That’s when it dawned on me, “oh my goodness” I said or words to that effect “nearly everything in here is 20, 30, even 40+ years old”
“No problem”, I thought, “Market Bosworth Scout Group will have thousands of pounds built up over the years!” But alas no, we had nothing in the current account and under £2,000 in the savings account, and not enough to pay capitation (HQ Fees) for the year. The Scout Group was facing closure.
So what have we done?
Between 2017 and 2019, we concentrated on ensuring that the Scouts could join in on Scout activities, we fundraised like mad and got some grants and managed to get some equipment to allow our Beavers Scouts, Cub Scouts and Scout to attend camps. We are now self-sufficient and don’t need to borrow equipment to hold a camp which gives our Leaders loads of flexibility.
What about the Scout Hut?
In 2018 our Trustee Board started to think about the Scout hut. “Will it fall down?” and “Can we tear it down and rebuild?” were common questions. So we got builders out to check it straight away and they said it wasn’t going to fall down “soonish!” and finally in 2020 we managed to get a surveyor to provide us a report. The good news is that isn’t going to fall down for a long time, however, there’s around 20 to 40 years of maintenance and updating to catch up on.
Strangely with all this news the Trustee Board are still here!! We also have a dedicated fundraiser and a grants volunteer (dedicated to researching and applying for grants and funding!) who have stayed with us and have been invaluable.
What was Stage One of our project?
We replaced the windows and doors, pathway and fence, Repaired precast concrete frame (repair metal and encase in concrete) fitted 25mm Insulation on outside walls and then Render Blockwork outer skin and replaces facias and guttering.
Read more here: https://www.mbscouts.org.uk/news/article/scout-hut-renovation-project-what-an-achievement
The outside now looks smashing so we have set our goals on:
Stage two of our project!
- Install disability ramp
- Change interior to be more disabled friendly – wider door at entrance, move storeroom to create space for wheelchair access, install disabled toilet and shower facilities
- Install a second toilet
- Refresh kitchen and install cooker for food activities
Our second project is more ambitious than the first (estimated at over double the cost) – you can see the fill plans here!
“Always Dream!” – It might come true!
When I was a Scout in London we met at the local church, but occasionally we would go to the scout hut out of town (in walking distance) in the woods, where there was a hut and an area for a camp fire and a sing-song, and a large secure area to run around. The Guides and Scouts shared this site. If something like this was available in Market Bosworth, could you make this dream come true?