Weather
Scouts climb Everest without leaving the local shopping centre (From Gazette)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting GAZETTE NEWS to 80360, or email
Scouts climb Everest without leaving the local shopping centre
9:00am Thursday 12th March 2009
SCOUTS climbed the height of Everest – but did it within the safety of a shopping centre.
About 40 youngsters, aged five to 14, continuously clambered over a one-metre high wooden trestle in the middle of George Yard, Braintree, in a bid to climb just over 8,800 metres.
Starting at 9am on Saturday, the members of 1st Braintree Scout Group reached their target at 3.30pm.
They raised about £800 for a new roof and kitchen at their John Ray Street headquarters.
Assistant Cub Scout leader Andy Southgate said: “1st Braintree Scouts is the oldest group in the town. We were 100 years old last year and we are in a hut that was built in 1927, so it needs a lot of work.”
The total cost of the work is about £50,000 and the project has been ongoing for five years.
Next fundraiser is a quiz on March 21, at the HQ at 7.30pm.
More News stories
- New plan needed for Colchester's economy
- Men charged with burglaries across Essex and Suffolk
- Win chance to lead out England's young guns
- Wood you believe it? There is a face in the bark
- Colchester Carnival 'could be held in October'
- I made my wife feel like Kiera with a Love Actually Wedding
- Pitch hire rise forces sports club to reduce its sessions
- 3 illegal immigrants arrested at rail station
- Plug pulled on drive-in movies plan
- Traveller site gets lease, but it has no permission
1st Braintree Scouts celebrate the fundraising climb in George Yard.
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Goonerboy, Colchester says...
10:26am Thu 12 Mar 09
I understand that such groups get no funding from the lottery. ( It was mentioned that the scout association is not representative of the UK ethnic population, despite having groups in 200 plus countries in the world) .For most sensible people the lottery was set up to help exactly these types of youth groups who provode activities and experiences that are invaluable for young people. It is also why many people have stopped buying a ticket. The unused lottery funds sitting in the bank could buy a new hall for every village and group in the land, for the benefit of all local groups and fund raising could be used for new activities. Well done to Braintree on their efforts