“For too long, we’ve been the Scouts that run the Jumble Sale at the top of the High Street,” says Jon Stell, Group Scout Leader for 1st Midsomer Norton Scout Group. “We’d like to be more than that.”

If you have fond memories of Scouting in the local area, and were, perhaps, one of thousands of local Scouts to have once walked through the doors of Midsomer Norton’s Scout Hall on Radstock Road, you may be interested to hear of an event that will be taking place very soon.

Having fundraised to refurbish the kitchen and the toilets at the hall in a bid to make it more user-friendly, and now trying to raise up to another £6,000 for roof repairs, Jon Stell and Rebecca Mears were clearing out the loft of the hall and in doing so, recently discovered a huge Scouting treasure-trove of old programmes, books, certificates, photographs, prizes, badges, and so much more.

Keen to share these finds with local people who may be able to fill in the gaps, an Open Day has been organised for Sunday, 15th September, at the hall in Radstock Road, from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. If you were once a local Scout, Group Leader, perhaps a sponsor for a local Gang Show, or have any connection with local Scouting at all, organisers of the event would love to see you.

Assistant Group Scout Leader, Rebecca Mears, says: “We have around 150 children on our books at any one time, so we know that thousands of young people have come through the doors of this hall over the years.

“We have found some wonderful things; and it has taken us such a long time to look through it all – particularly when it brings back so many memories. But there are quite a few gaps in our knowledge; people and events that we are unable to identify – so we would love anyone to help us fill in those gaps.

“Looking at old photographs, we have found ourselves asking ‘who is that?’ and ‘where are they now?’

“We even found a photograph of Prince Philip meeting a group of Scouts. Did he ever come to Midsomer Norton? These are things that we would love to find out.”

“There will be tea, coffee and food available on the day, with a chance to look around, catch up with old friends, or meet people involved in the Scouting movement. We also have old videos that we have found to play during the day.”

Improvements are being made to the hall to try and bring it in to use for the wider community, not just for Scouting. Rebecca explains: “All day, every day, the hall is empty. It’s a great space, and we genuinely want the community to use it.”

The hall on Radstock Road has been a base for many different Scouting groups over the years, including the Explorers, with children learning valuable skills that will set them up for life and enjoying action and adventure activities. They would welcome anyone who can give their time to help with maintenance at the hall, and are looking for a pool of volunteers who may be able to do odd jobs there, such as painting the interior and helping to smarten it up.

Recently, efforts had to be concentrated instead on the remote facility at Wellow, which had the entire front of the building ripped off by vandals. Amazingly, funds were raised to allow it to be rebuilt, with added security and features, such as solar panels, to help make the building self-sufficient.

Keen to tap in to that community spirit, organisers hope the event in September will bring everyone with a love of Scouting (or who just wants to help), together. Readers who cannot attend, but had a connection with 1st Midsomer Norton Scout group, can ask to join the Facebook page, 1st Midsomer Norton Scouts Alumni.