Firswood Scout Hut is a brilliant space tucked away off the Kings Road in South Manchester. It is home to the Scouts - 25th Stretford Group and has been running for over 90 years. It runs weekly activities for kids aged 6 -14, including the Cubs, Beavers, Scouts and Brownies.
Unfortunately our hut is in need of repair. We want to raise money to go towards new insulation, roofing, an extension and accessible toilets so that the kids can continue to use it safely and the whole community can start to really benefit from the space.
Why support us?
We believe that community centres and groups for kids are more important than ever and we need our hut to keep us going. We're based in Longford which is one of Trafford Council's lowest Socio economic areas and most diverse and deprived. This means that our groups are really inclusive and rich in culture but also in real need of support.
Details of the proposed rebuild:
We're looking to do as full a refurbishment as possible to bring the hut up to current Building Regulation requirements, particularly for insulation / thermal efficiency levels as well as to make sure it's accessible and generally safe to use.
Firswood Scout Hut Entrance & Toilet Remodelling - Small Extension (3.15m) to house entrance & waiting area. Refurbishment of toilet block. New large Fire exit door. External Wall – Upgrade: Insulation & Render / cladding.
We are estimating that it will cost around 200k but obviously with building costs and materials as they are it may be more. We also want our build to be as sustainable as possible. We're starting with a target of 20k to kick us off whilst looking for other grants and ways of fundraising too.
We have some drawings to show what it could be like and are currently moving forward with planning permission -
Why help invest in the Scouts:
Young people in the Scouts take part in an exciting programme of activities from kayaking to coding. They develop character skills like resilience, initiative and tenacity; employability skills such as leadership, teamwork and problem solving; and practical skills like cooking and first aid. And research proves it really works. A 2018 report says Scouts are 17% more likely to show leadership skills and work well in teams. They’re a third more likely to support their communities too.
Compared to other clubs the Scouts is good value for money and helps children to mix with different groups of people which can help their future. Unfortunately it is also over subscribed through South Manchester with many waiting lists. By helping our hut there is a chance we can grow our Scouting groups too.
Why help invest in Firswood Community?
Firswood Community borders Old Trafford, Stretford, Whalley Range and Chorlton in South Manchester. It is a real mixing pot of cultures and has the ability to bring together communities from all walks of life. We want to use the hut to help facilitate that whether its a language course, fitness class, baby group, breakfast club or supporting mental health workshops. Unfortunatelty we can't do that until the hut is in a better state and accessible to all.
Please help support our fundraising in whichever way you can, every little helps as they say.
If you have any questions please get in touch via our Facebook page. We're keen to grow our Firswood community and are more than happy to hear about any ideas or suggestions to help. Firswood: Scout Hut
Thanks, from all of us at Firswood Scout Hut x