Our District campsite at Downe, near Biggin Hill is a bit of ‘a diamond in the rough’
It’s a great site that offers a-lot and is not far from the borough. It offers a secluded countryside experience, covering all the necessary facilities for an under canvas camp, and lots of opportunity to tick off badge requirements for outside activities, camping and cooking, but also environment, service, bushcraft and just enjoyable traditional scouting.
The site benefitted greatly last summer from a team of volunteers from outside the district, who got much of the vegetation around the camping field and the grass under control and looking great. This team also had plans and intentions for changing the use of Brownsea hut and adding an office to the site. More on those plans in later newsletters.
They also laid the groundworks to obtain the consents from Bromley, Natural England and The Forestry Commission to undertake works throughout the woodland to address overpopulation of Yew trees and removal of trees impacted by Ash die back. This includes the area of Downe Bank SSSI. More on this in a later newsletter too.
Since they moved on in August, we’ve asked a new team together, from the district, and have completed some essential safety works and have invested much time in updating our documentation and processes, re organised the site and laid a strategy and plan for the safe use of the site and its use.
Some maintenance works have been completed too, ensuring the electrical systems is all safe, doors are secure and effective, the field tap sinks drain through and the roofs and guttering are effective (still one new job to do on the guttering) see the photos here and about.
We need to undertake some significant works to the car park, hut and shower block, but need to balance this with our priorities to you and supporting scouting generally. If you have any skills, or have parents in your groups that may have contacts or maybe able to help please let Andy Stanley the campsite lead volunteer know. Andystanley.ml@gmail.com. We are seeking grant support and looking at opportunities to bring in companies looking to fulfill their Social Responsibility intents.
With regards smaller projects and tasks in the next few months we hope to get enough support to address the altar fires, the woodland steps, some fencing around locations in the field, and decorations in the hut and showers as well as some minor joinery and plumbing jobs.
Volunteers are welcome, we have a presence there most weekends to get through everything in time for Camping being available from the Easter Holidays.
If you’d like to structure a workday for parents from your group We’re looking to use every second weekend in Jan, Feb Mar and Apr for working weekends.
Feel free to plan to use one of these dates and let Andy know numbers, so we can work out and have resources available for some targeted activities. If you’d like to do a different weekend then there’s every chance we can accommodate that too.
There’s a lot to do, and it would be good to get it done whilst we have momentum where we can. With your help it will take less time and commitment from our volunteer team, and get done a great deal sooner.
Once we’re don, it’ll be a shining Gem again.
Andy Stanley and the 11 Acres crew
