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Sea Scouts
get new hut from Bath School - thanks to Greenham Common Community Trust
4th June 2008
1st
Newbury Sea Scouts will finally be able to replace their 60 year old
corrugated iron meeting hut with a large, three year old terrapin
building, kindly donated by The King Edwards School, Bath.
The building, worth around £70,000 was due for demolition as Beards,
the school’s contractors couldn’t find a new home for it. At
the final hour Andrew Sparkes of Shefford Woodlands, a Construction
Manager for Beards, was told by his son Alex, aged 9, that his cub pack
needed a new hut and could he give it to them?
Andrew doubted that the Sea Scouts could move fast enough to apply for
planning, find a contractor to dismantle, transport and store it, and
find the necessary money. But the new 1st Newbury Hut Working
Party met, agreed the idea, talked to Newbury planning office and
assured Andrew they could meet the deadline.
Crispin Rowe, Headmaster of The King Edwards School said: “We are
delighted that the temporary classroom will be put to good use for the
benefit of young people. The school’s ethos is to help others and we
are especially pleased that the development of the school has led to an
opportunity for the Scouts, one of Britain’s best loved youth
organisations, to improve their facilities.”
The Chairman, John Tomlinson, drove down to Bath, took photos and
measured up the building, talked to lots of contractors, spoke to the
planning department and appointed a specialist contractor for the
initial works. The Scout Hut Working Party appealed to
Greenham Common Community Trust, explained the urgency and were
delighted to hear within 24 hours that their grant application for
£15,000 for the dismantling and transport of the building was approved.
As well as benefiting more beavers, cubs and scouts in Newbury, the hut
has the potential to be used by the District and County as a training
centre, to extend scouting activities to a larger number of young
people in the town and county.
Commented Chairman John Tomlinson: “As anyone who has been
involved with the group will know, we have been working towards
radically improving our facilities at 1st Newbury for well over 15
years and the generosity of the King Edward School and the Greenham
Trust means that we will now be able to complete the first phase of our
improvements, quickly and economically. In these days of PS2’s and
Facebook, traditional Scouting values and activities are more valuable
than ever and we are committed to improving the quality of the scouting
experience for young people in and around Newbury. Our appeal for
funding will continue as we now need to raise more funds so the
rebuilding, toilets, parking, security, services, storage etc can also
quickly go ahead, bringing the entire headquarters up to a more 21st
century standard, but without losing a traditional Scouting feel.”
Andrew Sparkes said: “The scouting movement relies on volunteers who
are the life-blood of the organisation. I am delighted that we are able
to help my son’s Sea Scout Group and at the same time re-cycle a
building for community use.”
Registered
Charity 282227