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Old Malden Scouts and Guides to Close Their HQ - ready for redevelopment

7 February, 2002  OLD MALDEN SCOUTS AND GUIDES TO CLOSE THEIR HQ - ready for 
redevelopment.

Scouts and Guides in Old Malden announce the closure of their joint headquarters to make way for demolition and rebuilding with the aid of funding from the Community Fund (the trading name of the National Lotteries Charities Board).

Members, parents and friends of the 1st Old Malden (St. John the Baptist) Scout Group and the 1st Worcester Park and Old Malden Guides and Brownies will be joining together at their joint HQ at 411 Malden Road, Worcester Park on Sunday 10th February at 12.30pm for a short Closing Ceremony. They extend a warm invitation to anyone who has been involved in either organisation in the past to join them for an hour to say "goodbye" to their home.

They will be joined at the ceremony by Hazel Mitchell who, as a Girl Guide in 1964, formally declared the building open. She will perform the formal closure.

Closure of the headquarters will mark 2 1/2 years of planning to replace the wooden building - which was erected in 1964 - with a more modern facility for the benefit of both the youth organisations. The Community Fund has awarded the Scout Group over 

After closure, the Scouts and Guides will hold their meetings and activities at other venues while demolition and rebuilding takes place over approximately three months. 

The new building will be brick built and will incorporate meeting rooms, better storage, kitchen and toilet facilities and will be fully accessible to those with special needs. The new building will be opened out for wider usage by the local community - the current building cannot be used in this way. After construction, the Scout Group (which is managing the project) will plan to develop and improve the facilities available in collaboration with new or potential users. It will use part of the Community Fund grant and some of its own funds, which have already been earmarked for this purpose.

1st Old Malden Scout Group also acknowledges the support of the team at Kingston Voluntary Action who have assisted in the planning of the project.

Further Information From: Tim Eggitt, Assistant Group Scout Leader (Development), 020 8337 8587 (evening), 07799 868972 (daytime mobile) or e-mail: tim_alison_eggitt@tesco.net.