Planning permission secured
At the beginning of May planning permission was granted by HDC for a Scout building on the land near to the bottom of Warwick Park.
Sam Arnold writes “As a seven year old I can remember starting Beaver Scouts, not perhaps the excitement you might imagine, but in fact I was begrudgingly taken for a trial by my parents having tried all the other activities Kibworth has to offer. The fear was not knowing what to expect or who would be there, but after a few short weeks, I’d learned this was a place full of fun, adventurous activities where everyone worked together; needless to say I never wanted to miss a week after that. As I journeyed through cubs and scouts, I made friends with people from other villages who I would later meet again when attending the Kibworth High School (now Kibworth Mead Academy) and took part in activities and trips away not just around the country but internationally too.
“I had always found the Scouts & Guides HQ an amazing place,
somewhere that the most amazing activities happened, a place where everything was possible and we could do as we wished. But as well as this, we looked after and respected it too.
“The success of Scouts has always been due to the enormous hard work from countless volunteers and realising the importance of this fun and adventure continuing, I began volunteering nearly eight years ago.
Kibworth Scouts has seen huge growth over the last 15 years, both thanks to some incredible volunteers and due in part to the vast number of new families moving into the new homes that have been built in the villages.
“After a good while volunteering and at the start of the Covid pandemic, I stepped up into the lead role at the group, and whilst managing the group through online meetings and social distancing we came out the other side as one of the only groups in the county who had increased their numbers during the pandemic.
Growth being a theme which has continued nearly every year since.
“This led me and our team to revisit the idea of a second venue in Kibworth, for the last 9 years we had been renting various spaces around the village. As accommodating as these wonderful venues were, it’s not the most practical and more importantly it’s not the same as ‘the Scout Hut’.
“We worked with John Littlejohn Designer Homes and David Wilson Homes, both of whom kindly offered us sites, but for various reasons we couldn’t progress them and thought we were out of options. However one positive to have come out of the replacement of the School Road railway bridge was the kind donation of land, which you will all know today as our new outdoor area (and building plot), right between the railway line and Warwick Park.
“The past 18 months have seen our volunteers transform the area into a useable site, managing everything from land registry, land clearing, construction and planning permissions for various projects as well as securing over £65k to fund everything.
Securing planning permission for a new, purpose-built building is the long awaited next chapter for the scout group,
something that’s been a vision for many of the volunteers over the years and we’re delighted that it’s actually happening.
“The Scouts & Guides HQ (Scout Hut) on Fleckney Road won’t be going anywhere, this is still an important venue that’s used every night by either the Scouts or the Guides, the new facility will give space for our sections that don’t fit into the Scout Hut’s busy timetable.
“Our drive and determination to complete this new project is to provide today’s young people with the same feeling of belonging that I and many others had when we joined Scouts. Somewhere that the most amazing activities can continue, a place where everything is possible a place they can own and respect.
“This is a chance for our community to come together and create this opportunity for our future generations.”
Contact re new building enquiries- build@1stkibworth.org.uk
Joining / membership- join@1stkibworth.org.uk
Wine Note – 2022 Animus Douro Reserva
