Our projects

 

11th Winchester Scout Hut, Hampshire – Extension

 

This project transformed the cold and draughty ‘Log Cabin’, the HQ of the 11th Winchester Scout Group into a warmer, more welcoming venue for Scout and community activities, meetings and events.

The building was extended to create access and toilets for disabled people, its entrance was remodelled, and storage space was created for the different groups that use the cabin. The building’s energy efficiency was also drastically improved by installing insulation, energy efficient doors and windows, low-energy lighting, and water-saving devices.

A lot of the work was carried out by volunteers and the Scouts and Cubs themselves, and members got an insight into the project and what it involved.

The need for the work was identified by the scout leaders and the members of the executive committee. Demand for Scouting in the city was growing and was outstripping supply, meaning that many young people were missing out. Seeing this, the group started to explore the possibility of improvements in order to allow expansion. At the same time it was recognised the use of the Log Cabin by the community was dropping due to its poor facilities.

The group recognised that the Log Cabin could play an important role in the community but substantial improvement was needed in order to attract groups and organisations.

As the facilities deteriorated over the years, community use had dropped, even though the Log Cabin was in an ideal location, situated in the heart of the community, and had external space allowing for a wide range of activities.

The first stage of the process was to talk to the current and past users and find out what they thought could be done to improve the building and its grounds. During the consultation period, a plan of the cabin and the site was put on the Scouts’ website, displayed in the Log Cabin and distributed to interested parties by email. People were asked to discuss the building and comment on what improvements they felt would improve the site and users’ experiences of it.

A total of 680 responses resulted from the four week consultation. Respondees included Scouts, leaders and executive members, parents and guardians, Guides and leaders, and occasional users.

Suggestions included creating better storage so that items did not have to be stored in the main hall, creating disabled access and toilets, installing insulation and heating, and levelling access.

The Scouts then drew up a list of the most common ideas and comments and developed the project plans around this.