Southwick Scouts celebrate 70 years of their group and the 50th anniversary of their headquarters

The 2nd Southwick Scout Group was formed in the early 1950s and 20 years later, Comber Hall was built in Quayside, Southwick.

A celebration evening to mark 70 years of the group and the 50th anniversary of the headquarters will be held at Comber Hall on Saturday, June 17, at 6pm.

Mark Dooley, chair, said: "We are inviting all who have been a member of the 2nd Southwick Group over the years, whether a Beaver, Cub, Scout, leaders and parents who have been involved. Also, we would like invite new members who are able to help in the future of our troop.

"There will be snacks, drinks and a camp fire to remind all of their Scouting time at 2nd Southwick. Come and have a chat and view the hundreds of photos on display, you'll be amazed at all the improvements we have made to the building over the years."

Named Comber Hall after Philip Comber, the former group Scout leader who was the architect and driving force behind it, the headquarters is tucked away behind Quayside Youth Centre, along a grass-covered track, and passers-by possibly don't even know it is there.

But the community got behind an appeal in 2012 to raise £30,000 to help the group stay alive and thriving. The ailing hall, home to Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, needed refurbishing ahead of its 40th anniversary as it was really showing its age.

The wooden structure started life as a cork store on an industrial estate in Crawley and work included waterproofing the roof, replacing the floor and fitting new heaters.

Until 1968, the group had been sponsored by All Souls Church, in Downsway, and used its hall for meetings. But Scout leaders decided they needed their own headquarters and Southwick Urban District Council allocated a small plot of land at the back of the Quayside playing fields.

The new group council, formed from parents and leaders, began fundraising and aimed to raise approximately £50 from each event. In 1970, the group purchased the large wooden shed from a factory in Crawley for £350 and began preparing the plot of land by levelling and digging foundations.

Under the guidance of Mr Comber, the wooden hut was put up in April 1971. It then took a further two years to finish the building with electrics, plumbing and decorating, as this was all done by volunteers at weekends.In the early 1980s, the hut was extended to the western end to give two extra rooms, to be used as an office and the Quartermaster’s Stores.

Visit secondsouthwick.org.uk or email [email protected] for more information.