Walton Firs Campsite and Activity Centre I am pleased to be able to tell you that the Walton Firs Foundation, the Charity established to acquire the campsite and preserve the facilities for future generations of young people, has written to the Scout Association’s solicitors giving notice of their intention to exercise the option to purchase the campsite at the end of June 2008. Over £625,000 towards the purchase price of £800,000 has been raised with donations being received from inside and outside Scouting. This has been a magnificent effort by all concerned; thank you to everyone who has contributed so generously to this appeal to ensure that the campsite will remain available for young people in Surrey for many years to come. However, there is still the balance to be raised and if anyone has any ideas as to how to achieve this, please let me know. When plans for purchasing the campsite were first put forward, it was understood that the Foundation would ask Surrey Scouts to run the campsite under a lease from them. Despite several attempts by the Surrey Scout representatives on the Foundation Board to achieve this, that Board has now decided that “leasing of the site is not a route which the directors and trustees of the Foundation can consider whilst fulfiling their commitment to the entire spectrum of donors and sponsors helping to raise the funds for the purchase of the site for the future use and enjoyment of young people”. A management committee, which will report to the Walton Firs Foundation Board, has been established to run the site from July 2008. I have been asked to find some people who would be prepared to serve on that management committee so that Surrey Scouts still have an involvement in running the site and the views of our members can be represented. If you would be prepared to help, please let me know. From the start, the proposal was to purchase Walton Firs so that it could be retained for the benefit of all young people in Surrey and surrounding areas, not just Scouts. That aim will be achieved and Walton Firs will continue to be available for all young people for many years to come. Richard Shortman County Commissioner

Posted on 24 February 2008 (Archive on 30 March 2008) Posted by keviny  Contributed by

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