Scouts hit by flood

Scouts have been forced out of their premises following a flood caused by a burst pipe and it looks as if only 50 per cent of a 20,000 repair bill is to be met by an insurance claim.

An appeal for help was made at the Heathfield and Waldron parish assembly on Tuesday night by president of the Broad Oak and Punnetts Town Scouts Mr Richard Lambert-Gorwyn.

He told the Express after the meeting that the walls of the building which is next door to Broad Oak village hall had dried out since the flood but the wooden floor had buckled and a lot of equipment had been damaged including tents and other camping equipment.

Mr Lambert-Gorwyn said the Scouts were on the verge of extending their premises when the flood happened but those plans had been dropped and all the money saved towards that project would now be swallowed up in repairs.

'They are planning to do all the work themselves so that they will not have to pay for labour,' he said. While their own building is unfit for use the Scouts are meeting in the school hall at Punnetts Town.

Mr Lambert-Gorwyn said his own three sons had all progressed through the Punnett Town Beaver, Cub and Scout groups. About 20 years ago there was an amalgamation with a group at Broad Oak and that was when the current building was put up by the two groups.

Heathfield and Waldron parish council chairman Cllr Tony Trick advised Mr Lambert-Gorwyn to apply to the council for a grant towards the work saying that was the sort of application which was usually looked on favourably.