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Fun, Friendship and Adventure with Appleby Scouts

1st Appleby Magna with Measham Scout Group

 

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HQ Maintenance      Grounds      Mural Wall      Other Improvements      HQ Arrival / Departure Checks      HQ Address      How To Find Us

Upgrade October 2008 - January 2009

Ladies always like a clean kitchen so just look at the gleaning white walls and the vinyl floor. Looking towards what used to be the mural wall.  See the insulation at the top behind the chipboard. Looking towards the former gas heater wall.
Partitions for new ablutions complex created - an inner recess with doors for ladies and gents. New WCs being fitted along with new corner sinks. Ablutions complex has been insulated with high density panels protected by chipboard.  Finished off with PVC marble affect cladding. Stacks more insulation and wall cladding still to be processed.

The whole of the HQ is being insulated. 

Step 1 is to fix batons on the wall - made more difficult by the walls not being square and the requirement to fit around windows and electrical fittings.

Step 2 is to fix heavy duty insulation in between the batons.

Step 4 is to overlay the 18mm chipboard panels to provide a smooth wall finish.  This will not only help to retain the heat, but will absorb sound much better than the block walls.  Another very important benefit is the safety issue, chipboard is a much softer landing for heads and bodies.

To insulate the ceiling in the entrance hall a false ceiling has had to be created before the insulation material could be added.  The cramped roof spaces made rolling out the insulation in the rest of the building a challenge.

Other projects have included:-

1. Adding a quick release safety bar to the main fire exit.

2. Creating a shrub bed outside the HQ.  This has tidied up the hazardous kerb stones, stopped the spread of the grass onto the car park and clearly shows drivers the stopping point before they descend into the drainage ditch.

3. New storage racks have been built for the games equipment, gym mats and tables.

4. Fittings to support the use of archery have been set up, which allowed us to hold our first Group archery competition in December.

 

HQ Development Plan - Project 50 / 40

The 1st Measham Scout Group was registered in December 1961 and will thus celebrate 50 years in 2011, while the 1st Appleby Magna was registered in April 1972 and will thus celebrate 40 years in 2012.  As the Scout Groups merged in 1999 we should celebrate the history of both.  It is proposed that Project 50 / 40 is adopted to significantly improve the HQ and grounds as part of the development of the Scout Group.

Grounds Map 2008 Shows 25% - 30% of ground covered by brambles etc. and is not used effectively. Grounds Map 2011 Grounds cleared and made usable.  Moat and island added to aid exciting activities. HQ Plan & Dimensions Size of current HQ
Grant Expenditure October 2008 - How the Group is spending £5,000+ upgrading the HQ.  Main developments comprise heating, insulation, toilets, kitchen, bulk store and archery

The proposals for Project 50 / 40 comprise:-

1.        Scouting Activities In The Headquarters Building - Make the HQ more interesting with Jungle Book and Beaver murals, as well as Lodge / Six / Patrol photos and badge charts.  Add indoor archery, air rifles and a model railway.

2.        Scouting Activities In The Headquarters Grounds – Dig a moat to create an island with a castaway hut, add outdoor archery and air rifle facilities.

3.        HQ Usability – Reduce the approx 20 tasks required to properly open up / close the HQ on a winter’s night to about 6 tasks. 

4.        Building Structure – Add a wood floor and paint the external cladding.

5.        Heating and Insulation – Replace the gas heating system with electric heaters, clad walls and roof with insulation and boards, consider a porch to reduce heat loss.

6.        Fire Safety – Designate 3 doors as fire doors and bring up to standard with push bar opening and illuminated exit signs, wall mount the fire extinguishers.

7.        Electricity And Lights – Move the fuse box to near the main door, split lights across switches, add mood lights, improve external lighting, procure portable lamps for activities.

8.        Toilets, Kitchen And Plumbing – Create a 2 WC ablutions unit at end of hall, revise kitchen, protect the plumbing from cold weather.

9.        Equipment And Storage – Replace the cabin and create a bulk store to hold pioneering poles, tyres etc. between the cabin and the HQ.

10.     Future – Have viable plan for extending the HQ after the proposals above have been implemented.

Group Meeting October 2008 - Actions to complete the upgrade during October-December 2008.

 Parents this is your chance to help.

HQ Progress October 2008 - Shows the overall progress in implementing the HQ strategy that was approved in April 2008. 

15% complete as at 16th October 2008

HQ Proposals April 2008 - description and rationale of proposed developments with target, status and actions.
 

Headquarters' Maintenance

Basic maintenance is important so in 2005 the Scouts had a mini camp in the grounds and painted the exterior doors and window frames.  The Scouts also repainted the kitchen and entrance hall, proving that hard work can be fun when you work together.
The 2006 DIY camp included tiling above the toilet wash basin, putting handles on the drawers and cupboards in the kitchen, as well as repairing the formerly planked over kitchen door so that it can be brought back into use. 

 

 

Grounds

Cars used to sink and get stuck in the car park, so we dug it up and laid a new one.  We have also added a new door directly onto the car park.

 

When we took over the land we inherited huge mounds of soil and waste, as well as nettles and brambles.  Most of the grounds were overgrown and unusable.

We did a deal with the caravan site residents and gave them some land for a parking area in return they levelled the grounds for us.

There is a limit to how smooth a digger can make the grounds.  So Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Leaders and Parents got stuck in digging out bricks and stones, as well as raking the land level.

The grounds are now starting to grass over and will provide a superb activity area for the future. 

2002

2006

 

We started planting trees in 1997 and some of the trees in our woodland area are now quite a size. 

When we planted another 50 trees in March 2006 it was hard to see them from a distance as they just had a stem. 

Now that the trees have been watered they are growing well and they have plenty of leaves on them.

 

Mural Wall

 

Our talented Scouts started work on the mural with scenes of Scouting activities, such as a climbing tower and a kayak, during the August 2005 DIY camp and continued their work during the August 2006 DIY camp.  The scenes show how they remember their Scouting activities and include our gateway at the Charnwood 2006 camp for 3,000 Scouts and Guides, Oblivion at Alton Towers, sailing at Watermead country park and some Beaver mischief.
Painting the block wall is difficult as the paint has to be really worked into the uneven surface.  The Scouts have learnt a lot about what works and what does not, e.g. that the best parts of their "jigsaw" are the large bold images.
While we work hard we still have time to make chips late at night!

 

Other Improvements

Storage improvements never sound exciting for any organisation, but the changes we have made are helping to make it much easier to run activities by keeping the HQ clear and letting us find equipment quickly.

We have colour coded the pioneering poles and made a rack for their storage.  We have reconfigured the shelving at the other end to make it more suitable for the tents.

We have added additional heaters in the hall and a water heater for the kitchen / toilets.
 

HQ Checks

Arrival

Departure

Lights - Old Hall Switch on to right of door as you enter. Switch off before you leave.
Lights - Main Hall Switch on next to side door. Switch off before you leave.
Lights - Outside Car Park Switch on at non kitchen end. Switch off before you leave.
Lights - Outside Kitchen Plug in at end of kitchen. Switch off and unplug before you leave.
Lights - Cabin Switch on in middle of mural wall, red light lights up. Switch off before you leave, check red light off.
Electric Heaters - Automatic Operation Throughout the year the heaters are set to come on at 22.00 and go off at 22.01.  This will automatically switch off the heaters if they are left on accidentally.
For the period November to March the heaters are set to run from 18.30-18.45 on Tuesdays and 17.45-18.00 on Thursdays.  This is to warm the HQ prior to arrival.
Electric Heaters - Manual Operation See instructions next to heaters.  Ensure you only use the TEMPORARY ON and TEMPORARY OFF settings.
Gas Heaters Collect key from key drawer in kitchen and open gate to gas store.  Turn gas bottle on.  Then go inside and turn gas taps on (in line with pipe) and press electrical switch on wall. Return outside and switch gas bottle off.  Lock gas store.  Put key back in key drawer.  Then turn off gas taps and electric switches, as the system will have had time to run cool.
Kitchen / Toilet Water Heater Switch ON next to kitchen door. Switch OFF next to kitchen door.
Water Supply October to March - turn on stop tap next to toilet. October to March - turn off stop tap next to toilet, then flush toilet.
Fire Exit Door Bolts Withdraw the bolts on the door in the Double Door in the Main Hall.  If more than 30 people in HQ also withdraw bolts on Kitchen Door and Main Hall Side Door. Check bolts shut on Main Hall Double Door, Main Hall Side Door, Kitchen Door.
Chairs No action should be needed. Stack against walls, 3 high by colour type.
Tables No action should be needed. 3 folding tables stack behind Beaver cupboard.  3 folding tables stack behind low cupboard under giant noticeboard.
Kitchen No action should be needed. Clear worktops - Put all plates, cutlery and mugs etc. away in cupboards.
Floors No action should be needed. Sweep floor.
 

HQ Address

Rear of 48-62 Measham Road, Appleby Magna, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE12 7BN.

Don't be confused by the Derbyshire postal address as we are in Leicestershire.  Don't post us a letter as we don't have a letter box!!!!!!  Email or ring instead (Contacts page)

 

How To Find Us

Village Map - This is an adaptation of the map on the village website.
 

 

We are behind the houses in  Measham Road and next to the Caravan Site.

Directions from junction 11 M42 (intersection with A444) From the J11 roundabout take the B4593, Tamworth Road, towards Measham.
After 100 metres take the first right hand turn into the village, this is Rectory Lane.
At the end of Rectory Lane turn left into Measham Road.
When there are fields on both sides turn right down the lane to the Scout HQ.  This is immediately before a row of houses.
Directions from Measham Exit Measham towards Tamworth, past DFS and British Car Auctions.
At the top of Birds Hill take the first turning on the left into Measham Road, Appleby Magna.
On entering the village ignore the turning on your left for the caravan site and continue past a row of houses on the left.
At the end of the row of houses turn left into the lane leading to the Scout HQ.

 

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