Members of a popular North Tyneside scout group are going under cover thanks to a four figure grant from a regional employer.
For the 6th Benton Scouts have bought four new large ‘jamboree’ tents after securing a £2,846 grant from The Banks Group via its Banks Community Fund.
The jamboree marquees, which range between two and six square metres in size, are designed to provide an easily-portable sheltered space for outdoor events, and will be used by the Scouts for a range of different activities at its St Bartholemew’s Church Hall headquarters.
The jamborees will also be available to the Cubs and Beavers groups that also meet at the church hall, meaning around 80 young people will be able to access them to total, and the Scouts are hoping they will be able to use them to hold events and activities in other places around the region in the future.
Other local community groups and four other scout groups that want to use them for their own events will also be able to do so.
Originally established almost 80 years ago, the 6th Benton Scouts draws most of its young members from around the local area, and they have been carrying out a range of fundraising activities themselves over the last year to help pay for some of the other equipment upgrades they’d like to make, which have brought in around £900.
Pack leader Tony Barnett, who is part of the team of volunteers and parents that runs the group, says: “Up until now, we’ve been quite limited in the sorts of outdoor activities and events that we’ve been able to hold, but having this type of shelter for a large number of people opens up a lot of new opportunities, and it’s especially good that other scout troops and local community groups will be able to use them as well.
“Running the Scout group takes a lot of time and energy from everyone involved, but it’s well worth it for all the enjoyment that the boys and girls get from the activities we put on.
“We’ve done a lot of fundraising work over the last year, and the Scouts have done fantastically well to raise so much themselves, but getting this generous grant from The Banks Group means we’ll be able to put on lots of new outdoor activities far earlier than we would otherwise have been able to do.
Chris Kelsey, communications manager at the Banks Group, adds: “Being part of organisations like the 6th Benton Scouts helps their young members learn new skills, try new activities and, perhaps most importantly, develop as people, and we’re very pleased to be helping them extend the facilities it can offer to its members and other scouts groups in the area.”
The Banks Community Fund provides grants for community groups and voluntary organisations in the vicinity of both operational and proposed Banks Group projects. Anyone interested in applying for funding should contact James Eaglesham at the Banks Community Fund on 0191 378 6342.