Planning for the future

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Creating a modern centre for the next 50 years

Scouting across South London Scout County is strong and growing and needs a modern, flagship facility that meets the needs of modern-day scouting at all levels.

Our facilities have served us well but the time has come to look to the future and provide better facilities for our volunteers to enhance their capacity to bring new ideas and events for our members in a warm, safe atmosphere during inclement weather, dark winter nights, and long summer evenings.

We have recently renewed our lease with Dulwich Estates and over the coming years we will be undertaking an exciting project of major development of the centre, including, new facilities with areas and services just for our use, and areas for public hire.

Our long-term aim is to develop the centre from the existing facilities, which has some outdated, but very well kept, accommodation and facilities to a centre providing a high-quality facility for local, national and international scouting and external community organisations

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Click here to see the opportunities to join our team

Our centre is situated in fantastic local woodland and is just 15 minutes from the centre of London. We plan to develop the centre to ensure it continues to be a prime location as an overnight venue, with beautiful camping areas and  amazing indoor facilities that include modern adaptable bedrooms, a large hall, catering kitchen, and modern toilets and wash rooms.

This will help ensure that The Fort is the number one choice for scouting colleagues, community groups and other youth groups, from across the country and world, when they visit the capital.

 

Why we need to develop the centre

Although the facilities have been extended and maintained as well as can be expected within its spatial and budgetary constraints, our Troop Room and Sunley buildings are no longer fit for purpose. They sit squarely in the category of “tear it down and start over again”.  There size and facilities are outdated and inadequate for current uses and struggles to keep pace with modern health and safety requirements. 

It is apparent that the facilities in the buildings are aged and ‘old fashioned’. Simply put hey are not adequate for scouting today and what we need to use it for.

We need better modern kitchen and WC facilities. We also need individual bedroom accommodation to fit with the mixed structure of scouting.

We aim to replace the Sunley building with a two story building to enable two groups to use the facilities and add to the facilities we can offer. The new building will also include extra washroom facilities for campers to use.

Our plans sets out our vision and proposals of what we aim to do over the coming years, dependant on funding being available and in agreement with Southwark Borough Council and Dulwich Estates.

Project objectives

Our primary objective is to provide welcoming, modern child friendly facilities for our members, other youth organisations and the local community which provides:

  • a great place for our volunteers to learn and develop their skills
  • a popular place for all youth organisations to visit and stay
  • practical, well thought out facilities for amazing events, competitions, activities and residential experience
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An areal view of the buildings

These pages aim to provide lots of information about our plans, timeline and how you can get involved and help us provide a centre for our members and generations of scouts to come.

Take a look at...