St. Edmund's Scout and Guide Parents' Association was created by a Deed of Trust dated 24th August 1966. Its twofold aims were (1) the provision and upkeep of a Headquarters Building where the Scout Troop and Girl Guide Company sponsored by St. Edmund's Church could meet and (2) the purchase and maintenance of camping equipment for use by the young people; those remain our major priorities, although our remit has expanded over the years.
The Hall is in use every weekday by children and young people with ages ranging from 5 year old Rainbows to 18 year old Explorer Scouts. At least two units are in the Hall every evening.
The Hall is very popular with parents as a convenient and inexpensive venue for birthday parties and other occasions which merit a celebration. It has the advantages of allowing a longer guest list, will accommodate a bouncy castle or entertainer and is robust enough to withstand the most boisterous of children.
In the 21st Century the Association has been active in applying for grants from various bodies and has been successful in replacing all the windows with double glazed units, insulating the outer walls to minimise heat loss, replacing the antiquated gas heaters with a modern automated central heating system, relaying the tired old floor with a vibrant multi-coloured vinyl surface and in August 2013 we refurbishing the toilets.
The kitchen was completely redesigned and rebuilt in 2014 and the main hall repainted in 2015.
We continue to upgrade the facilities as funding becomes available.