THE KINVER Scout Camp, which has hosted hundreds of thousands of children and young people for the past 104 years, will be closing in January.
The tough decision surrounding the site, owned by Scouting Hereford and Worcester, has been taken in a bid to safeguard the long-term future of the site and Scouting in the two counties.
Speaking about this latest decision in a video on the Kinver Scout Camp Facebook page, Robert ‘Sid’ Sidley, county lead volunteer or Scouts Hereford and Worcester, said: “Over the past few years, myself and my predecessor Derek, along with trustees, have had quite a few challenges on how to manage and deal with Kinver.
“Recently the current trustees have been looking at Kinver and the best way to make it sustainable.
“Going forward, we have really had to think about what we are going to do with Kinver.
“And, with that in mind, we will be closing the site down in January.”
Everyone who has made a booking for after that time will be contacted to discuss what those options are and no more bookings will be taken for the site. Third parties and companies which use Kinver will be consulting with them as well.
There is a lot of emotion attached to Kinver – memories have been made for and by scouts and other groups for generations and some people have even had their loved ones’ ashes scattered there.
In a statement, a Scouts Hereford and Worcester spokesperson said: “We appreciate the thoughts and comments people have made in various social media channels and the feedback we have received from Kinver residents.
“We do understand how deeply valued Kinver Scout Camp is within the local community, and more importantly our wider Scouting community.
“We fully appreciate the strength of feeling our announcement has generated.”
He added information was being shared – where it could – in a timely way to ensure what was said remained both accurate and constructive.
“We are striving to be as open and transparent as possible as the situation develops, within operational limitations.
“The decision by our trustee board has not been taken lightly.
“A wide range of factors have informed their decision making.
“These include but are not limited to changes in governance and changes in demand on our volunteer teams.
“These and many other factors have been considered to lead us to a decision we hope will guarantee the long-term sustainability of Scouting on our site and the opportunities it provides for young people.
“Moving forward we are actively seeking interested parties to manage the site on our behalf.
“Our hope is our young people will continue to enjoy the site, its camping and adventure for a long time to come, in a sustainable way that supports our future generations.”
Kinver and its assets will be discussed at a group leads volunteer day at the end of this month.
Scouting Hereford and Worcester has issued a rallying call for people to have their say on Kinver’s future.
People can email: [email protected] to have their say, ask questions, raise concerns, put forward ideas or provide feedback about Kinver’s future.
The history of Kinver Scout Camp
PERMISSION to use ‘Compa Wood’, known locally as ‘The Scout Wood’, was first granted by Mjr Harcourt Webb in 1921.
It was mainly used as a district camp for Dudley and then for Herefordshire and Worcestershire Scouts.
Over the past century, many changes have been made – these include adding a log cabin in 1926 and – in 1959 – electricity was installed.
New toilet blocks were installed in 1974, the log cabin was later extended and a water supply was added to the camping ground.
Hereford and Worcester Scouts bought the site in 1992 and The Harcourt Webb Centre – accommodation for those with disabilities – was built in the 1990s and a day room was added.
Other additions have included a drainage system, a campfire shelter, an activity tower, an initial laundry room and later a new laundry room and new toilets.
In 2007, the prestigious World Scout Centenary Jamboree Camp was held at Kinver.
