2nd Runcton Holme and Watlington’s brand new Scout Hut takes shape

Building work is now underway for 2nd Runcton Holme and Watlington Scout’s new state-of-the-art scout hut, funded by a Youth Investment Fund grant over £1million.

The Scout group, based in the rural district of Runcton Holme, plays a crucial role in empowering children and young people living in the neighbouring rural areas across West Norfolk. Their existing Scout Hut had served them well, but it was old, too small, inefficient, and not accessible to all young people.

2nd Runcton Holme and Watlington Scouts reached an important milestone today. The old hut has been demolished, and groundworks are underway to make room for a brand-new building. It’s an exciting time for young people and the whole community; everyone will soon reap the benefits.

Modern methods of construction

The new Scout Hut is being built using modern methods of construction. It’s an innovative method designed to achieve savings on facility running costs so that resources can focus on activities that enrich young people’s lives. Using modern method of construction is fast-paced and means that large sections of a building are manufactured in a factory and transported to the site pre-built. It’s hoped that Scout Hut will be ready to welcome Scouts in August 2026. In the meantime, the Scouts continue to meet at a local school.

2nd Runcton Holme and Watlington Scout Leader, Andy Nicol said:

“We’ve reached a very exciting milestone today, and we can begin to imagine our exciting new home. It’s been a roller coaster journey so far, and it’s fascinating to watch our Scout Hut take shape off-site, ready to be craned into place. In fact, it’s already built, so once the ground works are complete, we can really start living the dream. Our ambition is to reach even more young people, but we urgently need volunteers to help turn that ambition into reality. Volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to invest in children and young people while having fun along the way.”

Reaching more young people

The state-of-the-art 2nd Runcton Holme and Watlington Scout Hut will be flexible, fully accessible, and sustainable and will offer young people more opportunities, both inside and outdoors. The space is much bigger and can accommodate twice as many children and young people. The funding has enabled the group to make maximum use of the quiet outdoor space, giving Scouts the opportunity to get involved with the things they love the most: camping, fire pit cooking, archery, exploring, and much more.

The new facilities include:

• A flexible large group hall that can be divided into two spaces.
• Fitted kitchen with serving hatch to the main hall.
• Office space for volunteers and Scout Leaders
• Two large storage areas for games and outdoor activities
• Showers and toilets.
• Bike shelter and electric charging point
• New outdoor activity space, with external washing facilities, ideal for camping and forest school activities.

Vicki Nicol, Treasurer for 2nd Runcton Holme and Watlington Scout Group added:

“Once work is complete, our new Scout Hut will have a ripple effect. It will give even more young people positive opportunities to have fun, make new friends, and gain vital skills for work and life. It will also have a huge community impact. Schools, local groups, Brownies and Guides, and more will be able to use the space too. Having a flexible space means the main hall can be divided, enabling different activities or groups to use the space side by side.”

“It’s something that the whole community can be very proud of. Developing our new site has been a huge undertaking, involving so many different stakeholders. We especially want to thank our adult uniformed volunteers, our Board of Trustees, our landlord, and of course our young people and their families.”

The Youth Investment Fund is a UK Government fund worth over £300M and is delivered by Social Investment Business in partnership with Key Fund, National Youth Agency, and Resonance. The Fund’s delivery is supported by Modern Methods of Construction Specialists and Project Managers, Turner & Townsend.