1st Woodbridge Scouts to buy new caming gear with £1,000 donation from East of England Co-op

A town scout troop will buy some new camping gear after it received a £1,000 donation from a shop chain.

East of England Co-op awarded the grant to 1st Woodbridge Scouts as part of its Local Giving fund raising programme, and it will support the more than 70 young people enrolled in the group.

The troop was formed in 1909, just two years after scouting began, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019.

Two years later, in 2021, the group had to relocate from it original home in the town centre to its current temporary home at Rock Barracks, in Sutton Heath, courtesy of MoD Woodbridge.

The group will use the funds on the essential new camping gear to help local families who may not be able to afford it to join in on camps and acitivies.

Nancy Pearson, chair person at 1st Woodbridge Scouts, said: “This is a fantastic donation from the East of England Co-op over the Christmas period.

“Both Woodbridge locals along with Scout group families and Scouts of all ages came together to fundraise in stores with the Co-op staff.

“We are very grateful to be their nominated charity and it will help us to continue to provide Scouting opportunities to the Woodbridge community.”

The group runs Beavers, Cubs and Scouts sections every week with the help of volunteers and families.

It is keen to expand to accommodate its ever growing waiting list, and it is hoped the group will eventually fund raise enough for a move back to the centre of Woodbridge.