The most secure picnic site in Chislehurst

The most secure picnic site in Chislehurst

“Where’s our playground gone?” She may be 12 years old now, but she fondly remembers playing on the swings and climbing over the big red bus that formed much of her early life in Walden Road recreation ground. Of course, the playground hasn’t moved far, just across the footpath in fact, to a shiny new site, thanks to the efforts of the local “Friends” group. But what of the old site, the fenced off and forlorn area where, instead of play equipment, there lies nothing but pieces of moulded rubber matting and some picnic benches?

The new scout hut’s on its way!

Ever since Chislehurst Invicta Scout Group’s old scout hut, situated in the woods off Kemnal Road, burnt down in 1997 the Group has been looking for new premises. In the meantime the Group has been meeting in different places around the village which has been less than ideal.

However, nearly four years ago Bromley Council granted planning permission for the building of a new scout hut on the old playground site. In order to help raise the necessary funds to fill the gap between the amount paid out on the loss of the old hut and the cost of building a new one, Chislehurst Village News understands that the Group appointed a director of fundraising which is now bearing fruit. Around £100,000 has been raised to date, half of this coming from a grant by Veolia Environmental Trust through its Landfill Communities Fund. Veolia will now be working with the Group to finalise the details of the project and get it started as soon as possible.

Project Coordinator, Thomas Roberts, says, “This grant is great news and means we can push the project forward and create a new building for the Scouts and the community to use.”

Bob Neill, MP for Chislehurst (and Bromley!) and Vice President of Bromley District Scouts, commented “I am thrilled that Veolia Environmental Trust has decided to award this money to this local scout group. Thanks to this grant, the group can now get this project off the ground and enjoy a custom made meeting space, which will also double up as an important asset for wider community use in Chislehurst.”

So it’s goodbye “The Wheels on the Bus” and hallo “Dib, dib, dob” or whatever they say these days. The other Chislehurst Scout Group (5th Chislehurst) still meets in a cow shed...we know which one we would prefer.

www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk