7th Scouts Newark
About the project
What does this community space/venue do?
7th Newark Scouts provides a safe and engaging environment for local young people to learn, develop confidence and build practical and life skills through a wide range of activities. The group supports different age groups through Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, with activities spanning outdoor adventure, teamwork, creativity, environmental learning, leadership and community engagement. Their Scout Hut and outdoor spaces are therefore an important resource for helping young people learn, socialise and develop skills in a supportive community setting.
What is VIY doing?
VIY will undertake a significant transformation of 7th Newark Scouts Hut, focusing on both the internal and external spaces to create a more welcoming, practical and engaging environment for the young people who use the facility.
Externally: VIY will construct a large bespoke covered lean-to bench seating area, providing the Scouts with a sheltered outdoor space that can be used for seating, learning activities and group sessions throughout the year.
Continuing the carpentry and joinery focus, VIY will also design and construct several bespoke wooden, teepee-style storage structures to provide additional storage for onsite materials and equipment. These will be designed to complement the Scouts’ theme and create something both practical and visually interesting.
Further external works will include the preparation and painting of the building’s external doors, alongside the construction of bespoke planters to improve the area around the main entrance and create a more welcoming arrival point for children, parents and visitors.
VIY will also redesign and improve the fire pit area, making use of a number of different materials already available onsite, supplemented by additional materials where required. The aim will be to create a more functional, safe and visually appealing space for outdoor Scout activities.
Internally: The main Scout hall will receive a significant decorative transformation, using a range of carefully considered new colour schemes to give the building a completely new lease of life. Works will include the painting and decoration of the main walls, skirting boards, doors, radiators, the steps leading to the stage and selected areas of the stage itself.
There is also a newly constructed bare stud wall within one of the corridors which requires painting. This will be included on the additional, time-dependent works list, alongside other lower-priority tasks, and will be completed if time allows once the main scope of works has been delivered.
The works will create a more welcoming, practical and inspiring environment for young people, improving the Scout Hut as a space for learning, socialising and developing new skills. The new covered seating and improved fire pit will provide better opportunities for outdoor learning, activities and group sessions, while the bespoke storage and planters will improve the functionality and appearance of the outdoor space.
Internally, the refreshed Scout hall will give the building a new lease of life, creating a brighter space that young people can feel proud to use. Overall, the project will help 7th Newark Scouts provide a safer, more engaging environment that supports confidence, teamwork, creativity and personal development, while benefiting the wider community who use the facility.
