Telford scout hut demolished as funding effort fails

A scout hut has been demolished after the failure of a four-year campaign to raise £20,000 to save it.

Members of 1st Dawley Brook scout group in Telford launched the appeal in 2007 to save the hut, which was falling into disrepair. But the decision was finally made that it could not be saved and on Saturday the building was destroyed.

Thirteen-year-old Jamie Farrelly said it was a 'sad day' as he went along to watch the hut being taken down, but thanked people for trying to save it.

The scout group has moved into a new temporary home at the former ATC hut, near the Phoenix School.

But members are only renting the site after moving from another temporary home and the search for a permanent base for the group continues.

Jamie, from Aqueduct, said the scout group wanted to thank people for all their help in trying to save the hut through their fundraising and a local builder and leaders for organising the demolition work at the weekend.

Jamie believes the old hut was at least 40 years old but had not been used for years and was badly vandalised.

It needed a massive amount of work, including a new roof, fittings and electrics.

But the fundraising task proved too much for everyone involved and a local builder was finally called in to take the hut down.

Jamie, who is an assistant patrol leader with the scout group, said: "It was the only choice really to knock it down – the floor was cracking and we think it was more than 40 years old.

"It really was the most unsafe building you could ever come across."

Jamie, who studies at Madeley Academy, said a lot of local people turned out to watch the hut being demolished.

He said: "It is a shame.

"It was a sad day and many former leaders came to watch.

"Local residents were a bit upset but the fundraising was not going very well for us."

Jamie's mum Sarah Farrelly said: "The hut was so badly vandalised that over the years it could not really be saved, even with the fundraising.

"It was sad to see it go but they are a strong group at the moment and we will find a permanent home, wherever that may be."

The scout group already has waiting lists for its cub and beaver packs while the scouts are going from strength to strength.