A GROUP of volunteers have discovered a raft of further problems after having carried out an initial clear up of a dilapidated Teignbridge Scout hut.

August 11 saw volunteers descend upon Dobbin Arch in Kingskerswell for a clear-up of the village’s Scout Hut, which had fallen into disrepair since the 1st Kingskerswell Scout Group lapsed in 2019.

Led by the section’s former Scout leader, Richard Butterworth, the group made good progress on the inside and outside of the building, though it quickly became apparent that the state of the Scout hut was far worse than first anticipated.

An inside look of 1st Kingskerswell Scout Group Headquarters
An inside look of 1st Kingskerswell Scout Group Headquarters, which has seen better days. (Richard Butterworth )

‘We have discovered a lot of waste that we now need to get rid of, some of which may have been dumped on the land’ Richard said.

‘The biggest issue that we have come across is that the rear store building is very rotten and we had to make emergency repairs to it.

‘In all honesty, the store hut probably will not last another winter and we are still insure of the extent of damage to the groups kit.

‘The building needs knocking down and all the kit needs transferring to a weather proof secure container’ he added.

1st Kingskerswell Scout Group Headquarters
(Richard Butterworth )

Richard had hoped to have the Scout hut reopened come the autumn - reviving the group itself in the process - but this is looking unlikely after Sunday’s clear-up.

‘The main Scout hut, although structurally sound, needs repainting inside and the outside needs a fair bit of cladding replaced and totally re-staining’ Richard said.

‘The internal floor inside may need complete replacement including timbers. ‘The internal electrics need checking and a lot of plumbing needs replacing.  ‘We had hoped for an autumn restart but that will likely be pushed back’ he added.

1st Kingskerswell Scout Group Headquarters
(Richard Butterworth )

The village turned out to support the clear-up event, though Richard is hoping the business community will step forward.

‘Although we received good support from the villagers, businesses have not been so helpful and the pledges of help have been very limited’ Richard said.

‘Sadly, our budget to complete this is far less than it will cost to repair the building and grounds’ he added.