The 1st Hoveton and Wroxham Sea Scout Group has been Scouting since 1910. Their much-loved group is in the heart of the Norfolk Broads, so learning to sail, rafting and paddling canoes are favourite summer pastimes, alongside traditional Scouting activities like badge-work, camping, craft skills, cooking, ball games, archery and vital life skills to enhance their well-being and learning. Their Scout Hut, built by the Scout Groups in the 1980s, supports young people from the twin villages of Hoveton and Wroxham, separated by the River Bure.
Although their Scout hut has served them well, it was built on a shoestring, and it now looks tired and outdated. And vitally it is not accessible to all young people. The toilets are well past their sell-by date, and the roof is low, which means young people can’t enjoy ball games inside. And there’s just not enough space to accommodate all the local children and young people who want to join, so there’s a very long waiting list.
Futureproof for new generations of young people
Now funding from the Youth Investment Fund of £ 943,505.00 means that Hoveton and Wroxham Sea Scouts can expand the range and scope of their provision, and it will be there for future generations of children and young people to enjoy.
The funding will enable them to both refurbish and expand their building and create a new modern, sustainable, and accessible home for the Scouts. The building capacity will increase by removing the current offices and stores and by raising the roof height of the building. This extra height will mean the Scouts can enjoy ball games inside, and they will also benefit from a new climbing and bouldering wall.
The grant will also fund a two-storey extension – which means the Scouts can run concurrent sessions at any time, giving them greater flexibility. Accessible features include a larger modern facility with accessible toilets, showers, washing and changing area.
Time to chill out with friends
The Scouts will benefit from enhanced outside facilities including an open sided covered area which will allow them to make better provision for the needs of campers on the site and will also give them a covered base for activities such a shooting and archery. A new tarmac area will improve vehicle movements round their boat shed and will give them an outdoor hard standing and activity area.
Young people have been at the heart of the new plans for their Scout group, along with wanting their building to be sustainable and accessible to every young person, what they wanted most was a dedicated “chill out zone” to be themselves and hang out with their friends.
