Support our Hall

Our Centenary Vision: 100 Years of Community

In 2028, our Scout Hall will reach a remarkable milestone: 100 years as a cornerstone of the Herne Bay community. For a century, it has been a vibrant hub, fostering growth, adventure, and countless memories for generations of young people.

As we approach this centenary, we’re not just looking back; we’re looking forward. Our vision for 2028 and beyond is to ensure the hall remains a thriving, modern, and accessible space for many more decades to come. To achieve this, we’re embarking on a series of projects designed to reinvigorate our hall and secure its future. These projects aren’t just repairs; they are the realisation of our 100-year vision, ensuring the hall continues to serve our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and the wider community.

This ongoing work requires significant investment and the invaluable support of individuals, local businesses, and grants.

Join us on this journey to create a lasting legacy for Herne Bay.

The Scout Hall in 2009
The Scout Hall in 2022
The press article covering the opening of the hall in 1929!

Why your support matters

For the Scout Group these improvements will provide:

  • Improved facilities for activities and learning.
  • Enhanced safety and comfort.
  • A modern environment that inspires.

For the wider community we aim to provide:

  • A versatile space for classes, workshops and local groups (e.g. fitness classes, art groups, support networks).
  • Increased accessibility for all members of the community, including those with disabilities.
  • Reduced environmental impact through sustainable solutions like solar panels.
  • A hub that fosters community spirit and collaboration.

Our vision and current projects

Our vision is to create a fully inclusive, energy-efficient, and multi-purpose community hall that will serve Herne Bay for generations to come. To achieve this vision, we have outlined a clear roadmap of capital projects, designed to systematically upgrade and modernise our hall. These include:

Solar Panel Installation

A new kitchen

Expanding and updating the toilets

Disabled Access compliance

Solar Panel Installation

Our first major step towards a sustainable future is the installation of solar panels. This will significantly reduce our energy costs, allowing for more funds to be directly invested into our programme and other hall improvements, whilst also reducing our carbon footprint.

Progress: We are actively pursuing a major grant that could cover 90% of the costs for this phase, demonstrating strong external validation for this project. In parallel, we are also engaging with local councillors to share our broader plans and see how they might be able to support.

Call to Action: We are currently gathering community feedback on this project. Please share your thoughts and help us shape this initiative by completing our short consultation survey below:

Solar Panel Consultation Survey – 1st Herne Bay Scout Group

A new kitchen

As mentioned in our News update in February, to enable the hall to host a wider range of events and activities, we plan to convert our existing office space into a modern, fully equipped kitchen.

Expanding and updating the toilets

Currently, our toilet facilities are limited. We aim to expand and modernise them to comfortably accommodate larger groups and improve hygiene standards for all users.

Disabled Access compliance

Ensuring our hall is accessible to everyone. This project will involve making the necessary structural and navigational improvements to fully comply with disabled access regulations, making our hall truly inclusive.

Progress: An initial survey has been completed and the works scoped with initial estimates to complete all interior work, including damp-proofing the premises. We’ll publish more information as we work through the sequencing of these projects.

How You Can Help

Donate
  • Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a significant difference. Even with significant grant funding and council support, your individual contributions help us to secure matching funds, cover unexpected costs, and accelerate our progress.
  • Check back here soon for links to fundraising activities and goals
Community consultations and collaborations
  • Your voice is crucial to help us shape and tailor the hall’s development to the community’s needs. Help us refine our plans by participating in our consultations. Beyond surveys, we are actively engaging with local councillors, contractors and other community groups to ensure these projects meet the needs of Herne bay.
  • Are you a local business or tradesperson who could offer materials or services? Perhaps you have expertise in grant applications or project management? Perhaps you were a Scout who benefitted from using the hall? We are actively seeking partners to collaborate on these projects. Become a supporter today!
  • Please contact us to discuss how you might be able to help.
Spread the word
Volunteer

Direct contact

Email for direct enquiries about the projects: dan_prevett@btinternet.com

  • Support our Hall and express your interest
    As we work up our applications for funding the improvements to our Hall, we want to show that there is a demand for the hall to be used as a community asset. At this early stage we are simply looking for expressions of interest. So, if you would like to support, or express an interest…

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  • Supporting our Hall
    We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new ‘Support Our Hall’ webpage, your gateway to helping us transform the Scout Hall at Arkley Road into a modern, accessible, and sustainable community hub. This hall is more than just a meeting place for our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers; it’s a vital asset for the…

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  • A message from our Trustees
    Hello! Can you help us? Currently we do not have a kitchen at our Scout Hall but we want to build one. A functional kitchen would let us do actual cooking activities & badgework during our meetings and would allow us to cater hot food onsite for sleepovers, camps and Group events. The Leaders and…

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