Our Centenary Vision: 100 Years of Community
Contents
Background
In 2028/29, 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.
Watch the short explainer below to get a flavour of the group’s history, and head over to our heritage page for a more detailed timeline of key milestones. Thank you for your support.
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:
Expanding and updating the toilets
Solar Panel Installation [COMPLETE]
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: The panels have been installed and we’ve already started realising the benefits of generating our own power! A huge thank you to the Veolia Environmental Trust and all our local supporters who made this possible.
Read more about our successful grant application here.
Read more about the panel installation here.
Acoustic soundproofing [Deferred]
To ensure our hall is a comfortable and functional environment for everyone, we are installing some soundproofing. As a large, high-ceilinged space, the hall currently suffers from significant echo, which can make it challenging for everyone, not just those who are sensitive to noise. This project has been deferred until the internal structure has been secured with damp proofing.
We are deferring this work until the internal structure is secured through damp proofing.
Damp proofing [Active]
To protect the structural integrity of our 100-year-old home, we are undertaking essential damp-proofing works. This isn’t just about maintenance; it’s about creating a healthy, dry, and welcoming environment. Completing this work is the vital “first step” that allows us to move forward with painting, decorating, and installing our new kitchen and other interior facilities.
We are actively fundraising for this now with the aim of completing the work over the summer break ready for September.
A new kitchen
As mentioned in our News update in February of last year, 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 be DDA compliant, 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, such as widening our entrance hallway and foyer, in order to make our hall truly inclusive.
Our Progress
An initial damp survey has been completed, and the interior works scoped with initial estimates to complete all the work. We’ll publish more information as we work through the sequencing and fundraising of these capital 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.
- If you are interested in match funding, please reach out to the Group Lead Volunteer at glv@1sthernebay.org.uk
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
- Help us reach a wider audience by sharing our vision (and this page!) with your friends, family and networks, particularly those in Herne Bay.
- Complete our active surveys to help show your support and validation for our projects:
Volunteer
- We also welcome volunteers for specific tasks or fundraising events. If you have time to spare, please get in touch.
- Please contact us to discuss how you might be able to help.
Direct contact
Use our contact form to get in touch and one of the team will get back to you shortly.
Latest News
- Scout Hall Plans Temporarily on HoldWe want to share a quick update regarding our Scout Hall. Our latest grant application for essential damp-proofing work was unfortunately unsuccessful, which means our major renovation plans are temporarily on hold while we look at other funding options. While the big structural jobs are paused, we aren’t sitting still! Our leaders are already pulling…
- Shaping the Future: Our Summer Upgrade Plan for Arkley Road HQ!It has been an incredibly busy few months behind the scenes here at 1st Herne Bay! While our Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts have been out adventuring, tracking trails, and learning new skills, a dedicated team has been working hard to future-proof the foundations of our Group. As we head towards the summer holidays, we aren’t…
- Powering Our Future: Solar Panels are Live!We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the first major milestone of our “Support Our Hall” transformation project is officially complete! As of this week, the Scout Hall at Arkley Road is now powered by the sun. This is a massive leap forward in our mission to create a sustainable, modern, and energy-efficient home for our Beavers,…
- We did it! Conditional Grant secured for solar panelsGreat news, everyone! We are thrilled to announce that we have been successful in obtaining a major conditional grant from the Veolia Environmental Trust to fund the installation of solar panels on our Scout Hall. This is a massive step forward in our ongoing transformation project, bringing us closer to our goal of creating a…
- A massive thank you to our amazing volunteers!A huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual hall cleaning and maintenance day. We were absolutely blown away by the turnout, with around 30 people giving up their time to lend a hand. Many hands truly do make light work, and we made incredible progress thanks to your hard…