Tameside Scout hall to transform into community centre with £80k Pride in Place funding

A major investment from Tameside’s Pride in Place Impact Fund is helping transform the home of 1st Haughton Green Scout Group, securing its future as a valued community hub for generations to come.

The group has been awarded £80,820 by Tameside Council from the Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund, which supports visible, lasting improvements to community spaces and strengthens pride in neighbourhoods across Tameside.

The funding will enable a significant refurbishment of the Key Scout Centre on Gibraltar Lane, with improvements due to be completed by March 2027. Planned works include new heating and controls, refurbished toilet facilities, a modern kitchen, improved accessibility, upgraded fire doors, additional storage, electrical upgrades, internal repairs, redecoration and enhanced external signage.

The Scout centre has served local families for generations and remains an important community asset. However, ageing facilities have begun to limit its ability to meet current and future needs.

Thanks to funding through the Pride in Place programme, the building will be modernised and made more welcoming, accessible and sustainable, creating better opportunities for local young people while supporting wider community use. The project will focus on improving and preserving the existing building rather than replacing it, helping to reduce construction waste and retain embodied carbon while safeguarding a cherished local facility for the future.

Lead volunteer Neal Charlton said: “The investment is about more than improving a building.

“It is intended to support the recovery, long-term sustainability and growth of Scouting in Haughton Green while expanding the centre's role as an affordable, inclusive community venue.”

The project aims to double Scout membership from 30 to 60 young people within two years, increase community use from four to at least seven bookings each week, and create a financially sustainable, energy efficient centre capable of serving Haughton Green for generations.

Tameside Council Executive Leader, Councillor Eleanor Wills said: “The Pride in Place Impact Fund is about investing in the places and organisations that sit at the heart of our communities. This funding will help transform the Scout centre into a safe and accessible space that will benefit the area for years.

“As well as supporting more young people to access the opportunities that Scouting provides, these improvements will create a welcoming community hub that can be used by local people.

“It's a great example of how Pride in Place funding is helping to strengthen community assets, increase opportunities for residents, and build pride in our neighbourhoods.”

1st Haughton Green Scout Group runs Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts sections. Scouting offers children the opportunity to make new friends, try exciting activities, enjoy outdoor adventures, and develop confidence, independence and skills for life.

1st Haughton Green Scout Group is one of 24 projects to benefit from the third and final round of Pride in Place funding.