1st Consett Scout Group
Why we need a new Building
Our current building has given many years excellent service, but it has now lasted more than twice its life expectancy.
Repairs to the roof in 2008 highlighted the fact that many of the supports were showing signs of fatigue, and some of the structural uprights in the walls had to be replaced.
It is also fair to say that the building was designed for a different age. Facilities are, to say the least, basic. We have two toilets, without hand basins, one large hall with low beams, and a tiny kitchen and store room. The building does not have any real insulation or draught proofing either, leading to huge heating bills in the winter.
Five years of growth in numbers mean the building is no longer large enough to cope, and no longer fit for the purpose. Because of this and the scale of the repairs needed it was decided that it would be better to replace the building, to give the Group a solid foundation to allow it to continue to expand for another fifty years or more.
For safety reasons we decided that the 2009/10 winter must be the buildings last as we could not guarantee the safety of the building much beyond that. In July 2010 the last section meetings were held in the hut.
The Group is currently having to meet in and pay rent for two locations, a local school and a local church hall. However, they do not provide the facilities we need, such as equipment storage, areas for lighting fires or pitching tents etc., and as a result all the sections are running a reduced programme of activities.
The leadership team are working hard with the facilities they have, but this is far from ideal. The group is restricted and cannot expand and the young people cannot fully benefit from Scouting. Without a new headquarters, the service which Consett Scout Groups have provided to the community for 100 years could disappear into history, just like the Steelworks which once made the town famous.
© 1st Consett Scout Group 2009
Email: info@consettscouts.org.uk
