Walney Scouts 'raise the roof'

 
The Walney Scout Group comprises of some 80-90 youngsters and consists of three Beaver colonies, a Cub
Scout pack and a Scout troop all operating out of the hall in Knox Street Walney. The facilities which are
also used to store all the scout equipment and resources were somewhat basic to say the least and had no
ladies toilet or kitchen. During 2011 the Group leaders commenced raising funds towards refurbishment of
the building. The facilities improvement plan was to include provision of up to date toilet facilities, a
kitchen, improved access to the building, and complete refurbishment of the roof.
 
Estimates of cost were prepared which totaled some
£24,500 and consequently fund raising began.
 
One of the most important and indeed expensive
items of refurbishment was the roof, which required
complete removal of the slates, installation of new
roofing felt and battens, removal of an existing
chimney stack and reinstallation of the roof slates
again. The estimated costs of this particular
part of the refurbishment were £8,500 and some
monies had already been raised for this project
but still leaving a shortfall of £3,500.
 
It was agreed by the Executive of the WLMCF
that we would donate £1,000 towards this project
once all the remaining funds had been raised and so
it was in March 2012 that Alan Jones the Provincial
Charity Steward presented Ged Pugh (ex officio
member of the Scout Group Executive) with a cheque
for £1,000.
 
Well it is now October and it was with great pleasure that Russ Greenhow (Deputy Leader of the Corinthian
Charity Group) and Alan were able to accept an invitation to attend a wine and cheese evening at the hall
to celebrate the completion of this phase of the refurbishment. The work on the roof has been completed, a
new kitchen installed, new gents, ladies and disabled toilet facilities are in place and the main access
doors to the building have been replaced.
 
During the evening Keith Newby (Chairman of the
Scout Group) thanked all those who had helped in
any way in raising funds for the hall and especially
those (including the WLFCF) for donations received.
He particularly stressed how important it had been to
complete the work on the roof especially because of
the inclement weather that has prevailed over the
Summer and was quite certain that the hall would
have suffered from much water damage had the work
not been carried out.
 
To mark the evening (if you will pardon the pun) a
plaque was unveiled which listed all those who had
contributed funds to the project.
 
Photographs, Top right 'the plaque'
 

Above, Alan Jones (Pr. Charity Steward), Keith King (Group Scout Leader), Peter Holt (Asst Scout Leader),

John Sharp (Scout Leader), Keith Newby (Chairman), Monica Pugh (Beaver Scout Leader),

Ged Pugh (Cub Scout Leader), David Atkinson (Asst Cub Scout Leader)
and Russ Greenhow (Deputy Charity group Leader)
 
Article and Photographs courtesy of Alan Jones