61st Doncaster (Bentley) Air Scouts are at the heart of Bentley’s small community, and much loved by young people and everyone in the former mining village. But its existing building is tired, old, small, and is about forty years past its expiry date. Now a Youth Investment Fund grant will transform their fortunes.
Bentley desperately needs a new, accessible community hub to reach growing numbers of young people. It’s based in a deprived area of Doncaster, with high unemployment, socio-economic challenges, and very few opportunities for children and young people.
Our building has more holes than a sieve! Although we’ve done our best with tiny pots of money from fundraisers, it’s been like putting a plaster on a broken leg! We’ve been upcycling for years and scrabbling around for money to build the hut our youth community deserves.
Karen Green
Group Secretary for Bentley Air Scouts
Despite the challenges, young people have an amazing time at Bentley Air Scouts. Doing their badge work, camping, playing games and learning important life skills, as well as building model planes, going gliding and using the flight simulator. From fun to essential skills, Bentley Air Scouts has been transformative for the many young people who have gone through the Group over the last 70 years.
Bentley’s young people have been dreaming of a new space, a space big enough to cope with growing demand. The Air Scouts want to be there for future generations of young people and to offer new activities and opportunities, plus having a permanent space to house their flight simulator and the model aircraft projects that young people love making.
Bentley Air Scouts have been busy planning their new building since 2009. One of the big challenges is making their space accessible. At the moment, it’s challenging for disabled young people and their families to use the building – getting a wheelchair in and out is a huge effort.
A Youth Investment Fund grant of over £1.1 million will make Bentley Air Scout’s dreams come true and create a community hub right in the middle of Bentley’s small community. It will be a building to be proud of, and there for future generations to enjoy.
Young people have been busy shaping the plans and will now get the building they yearn for. More than anything they want more space for the aircraft modelling, creating models they can fly! The young Scouts love ball games and adventurous activities, so the new building has been designed around this. Its high windows mean that they can enjoy indoor ball games without the worry of breaking a window. Young people also love to cook, so a new state of the art kitchen will help them hone their culinary skills and support their badge work.
The new building will be a two-storey accessible and sustainable space, including room for the flight simulator and their model work, and lots more space for young people to enjoy activities like games, crafting, music, camping skills, archery and cooking. It will be a vibrant space for the whole community to enjoy. Schools, community groups, and everyone will be also able to enjoy the new facilities, as well as the Air Scouts.
Our Youth Investment Fund grant is such welcome news, a real investment for everyone in Bentley. It will create something quite iconic in our village, something we can all be proud of. But more than anything it’s a real investment in young people, giving them vital skills for life and work, and helping them to have fun and enjoy their childhood to the full. It’s making all our dreams come true.
Karen Green
Group Secretary for Bentley Air Scouts
