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.
Recent repairs to the roof 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.
With the Group growing as it now is 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 have decided that the coming 2009/10 winter must be the buildings last as we cannot guarantee the safety of the building beyond that.
Although we would never willingly close the Scout Group, it is very difficult to see how we could continue to operate effectively without a new headquarters by the end of 2010. There are no facilities within Consett which could accommodate all three sections of the Scout Group, let alone our equipment. With the demand for Scouting being so high, we are looking to expand, starting a new Beaver and a new Cub Section to allow every young person in and around Consett who wants to join the opportunity of taking part.
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
