5TH WOODBRIDGE SEA SCOUTS –

CREATING A LEGACY ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY

 

 

For just shy of five decades, 5th Woodbridge Sea Scouts has been bringing friendship and life experiences to thousands of local youngsters.

Home has been our bustling scout hut aside the River Deben.

We run four sections with 30 children in each, using the facility typically four times a week.

 

A New Era Beckons

As much as we love our home, it’s urgently in need of improvement if we’re to keep pace with the demand upon us to take in more young people, and to continue to provide such life enhancing opportunities.

Why now?

· Post-Covid, we now have more than 100 Woodbridge & Melton youngsters waiting to be part of our active and inspirational family

· The Scouts Association announced in recent times that they have launched a new younger section – Squirrels, for ages 4 & 5 – so we’ll be eager to roll this out for the Suffolk community in 2022

· One of our key pursuits is, obviously, watersports on the River Deben. This requires changing and shower facilities – none of which do we currently have

· We’re very aware that our facility is not sufficiently accessible for all. We want young sea scouts to be accommodated for, no matter whether they have a physical disability

 

A Solution in the Making

We plan to create an asset that the Woodbridge and Melton community can be proud of – and which provides more space for them too.

Our ambition is for a cost effective extension to our current ‘home’, creating extra space and the appropriate modifications.

Thanks to Eric Reynolds, of Urban Space Management, we’re being supported in achieving our extension with 40ft shipping containers, modified locally.

Full planning permission has already been granted, and we’ve a host of other organisations and enterprises who say they would also utilise the new space.

 

A Question of Funding

Having saved for many years throughout our active operation, we have been able to assign £40,000 to this project.

The total creation, however, is likely to be £220,000.

 

Sharing the Legacy Venue

We very much see this as a project to benefit many, and will market the building for use. Options might include:

 

· Art and creative clubs – lessons and exhibitions

· Groups and networking sessions

· Overnight accommodation for scouts and guides

· Land facilities to provide changing for those involved in watersport

· Business events or meetings

· Fitness classes

· Accessible sessions and events

· Holiday clubs

 

Over to YOU!

We can’t make this dream community asset into a reality without your help.

We need

· Project management support

· Fundraising help and guidance

· Donations

· Marketing and events contributions

· Your willingness to spread the word!

 

GET IN TOUCH

 

If you think you’d like to help us, or want to learn more about the story so far, please do get in touch by e-mailing Barrie Hayter, on [email protected]