News archive

17/12/08

Unfortunately the recent persistent rain defeated the less than perfect roofing of the Ranger Hut and this had to be replaced as a matter of some urgency. We are very grateful to Cheam Felt Roofing for responding to our need so promptly. We just have to wait for the inside to dry out now!

10 October 2008

Our refurbishment is now effectively complete and we are refocussing our attention on routine maintenance ready for the winter.

11 September 2008

The painting looks finished and the Hall is back in use again - even the new front doors are on and looking forward to getting their second coat of stain. The fencing is finished and the skip should be gone soon - the side fence has been cleared and repairs made to the Ranger hut and the front double gates. Just a few snagging items to get cleared up, and a round of thanks to our clean-up crew last weekend - Katherine, Sarah, Tim, Hannah, Katy, Omar & Zara, and Andy who came down to help put the notice boards back up. Trouble is, the more that gets done the more 'little bits' seem to be crying out "me too". Still, the major works are now finished and we can look forward to being able to improve the general insulation now that all the doors fit and the draughts have been stopped.

Jabberjacks started well this week and are enjoying the new facilities, including baby changing!

30 August 2008

Well, the builders have now left us, and there's just the final fittings and decorating to do. One week to go before we re-open and then everyone will be able to see for themselves what we've been up to for the past few weeks. No insurmountable problems were experienced, and thanks must go to everyone on the team so far for finding solutions to the little problems that we came up against without fuss or drama.

Perhaps this is an appropriate time to express thanks to our lead builders Richard & John, our carpenter Bill, plumber Terry, floor man Les, plasterer Steve & his mate, and our lead painter Sue. Each and every one of these people have been a pleasure to work with - accommodating, cheerful, willing to offer suggestions and to apply changes for the benefit of the Hall. Without them the project would have been much harder work and the results good but not outstanding!

Let's hope the users agree with my somewhat biased viewpoint!

10 August 2008

Two weeks of hard work and we now have all the new 'rooms' built, walls plastered, some with tiles on, doors hung, paint chosen new electrics thread through. The broken drain has been found and will be repaired, and the boiler drain has been relocated inside correctly.

On the downside the loft is a mess, but a few hours moving things around will get that sorted!

The refurbishment has started - 1 August 2008

As the first week of the refurbishment draws to a close and the dust begins to settle (literally!) we are starting to see the new layout of our toilets. In fact, the layout is very new, as in taking down the original walls we were able to see where improvements to our proposed design could be made, and the necessary changes have been implemented.

We will still have the same revised facilities as we planned, but the new layout is much cleaner and logical, with less 'wasted' space. Work on the electrics is also going well and we will have no cables on show, with all redundant wiring removed.

All the woodworm infested 'gadget wood' has been removed from the loft and a vast amount of dust removed! The loft window has been opened, with light and air now flooding in. Next week sees the walls plastered and pipe runs laid, which will complete the 'first fix' stage.

Summer 2008 Refurbishment

During the summer break the Hall (capital 'H'- all areas indoors and out!) will be closed - from 28 July until 7 September inclusive. During this period we will gut the toilets down to the bare walls, removing all fittings and services. Everything (apart from the toilet roll holders) will be new, and we will start the new term with a unisex accessible toilet as well as dedicated facilities for boys and girls. We're also refurbishing the entrance hallway, and you may already have seen the first of the changes to the exterior lighting which are designed to enhance safety and reduce costs. We'll also be replacing the front fence and making a few smaller improvements to the grounds.

Many of the users have given their own personal views of what they'd like to see included in our summer works, and we're very grateful to them for this input which has proved very useful.

What we really would like now is a few adults (mums, dads, grandparents etc) to offer a few hours to help us 'finish off' the contractors' work, probably sometime around the end of August. There isn't a specific 'work day' - there's a variety of DIY type things like painting, replacing fixtures etc to be done, and we can be pretty flexible about personal times - just give us a ring on 0845 1307758 PLEASE!

Jabberjacks - July 2008

After the summer break we welcome Jabberjacks to Dell Lane, an established franchise offering weekly sessions for babies and pre-schoolers on Tuesday mornings. Jabberjacks also specialise in a party service for birthdays, christening/naming days, toddler groups and pre-schools, nursery sessions, infant school after school clubs, end of term parties and school fair/fund raisers. They are offering a free trial session, so what have you got to loose? Contact Katie by email or telephone 020 3185 1003.

Squirrels - June 2008

After two years of being 'squirrel free', the little rascals found their way into the roof space again at the beginning of May. Our friends from CTF pest control came along again to help reduce the numbers living in the trees at the bottom of our garden, and we then embarked on a plan to keep them out of the building for good. Two proprietary ultra sonic 'squirrel deterrent' were installed, which appeared to have no effect whatsoever. It was when I saw a squirrel looking straight at one from a metre or so away I knew we needed to do more!

So down came the gutters and up went metal mesh, filling the gaps between the wavy roof and the straight fascia board - are roofs really built this way with big gaps all along them? So far so good - but perhaps we ought to do the front of the building as well, just to be sure! The leaky gutters got fixed and the garden floodlights replaced at the same time - so all in all a good couple of week's work.

New Fencing - April 2008

We are very pleased to be able to report that the fence between ourselves and the adjacent Day Nursery at 1 Dell Lane has been replaced, making this boundary much safer and better looking. When the Scout Association purchased the land from the Co-op on our behalf on 12th October 1955 for £500, we agreed to 'erect and maintain' a fence between ourselves and what remained as a dairy. Cherrystone Nursery have been kind enough to fund the replacement fence, and we have agreed with them to maintain the existing boundary position. We are very grateful to Cherrystone for their actions, which will set off our own new front fencing due this summer perfectly, as well as enhancing our own site security considerably.

Big Lottery Funding successful - January 2008

After more than a year of form filling, research, discussion and anxious waiting, the news eventually came through that we had been successful in our application to the Big Lottery Fund for 50% of the costs of refurbishing our toilets and creating an essential 'disabled' facility. This is a tremendous boost to our morale and means that the work will definitely be completed during the summer holidays this year.

The existing toilets have been refurbished in their 50 year life, but the original design never allowed for wheelchairs, and even for ambulant adults access is a bit of a squeeze. Based on an idea that came from one of our Guiders during a virtual brainstorming session, we are going to create a unisex accessible cubicle from two existing cubicles. Although this will reduce the total number of cubicles on the premises, our meetings are predominantly male or female, so the loss will be minimal. What we gain in return is an additional basin, accessible features, baby changing, easy maintenance surfaces, a new floor, temperature controlled hot water, specific 'child friendly' features and enclosed low energy lighting to replace the bare bulbs we've had for so long.

There's a lot of work to be done both before and after the actual construction, and the Management Committee gave their unanimous support to the project at their meeting on 31st January. We hope that some of the parents and hirers will be able to help with the finishing touches towards the end of August, and that everyone will contribute their thoughts to the project, as well as spreading the word about the improvements to the premises. We have also received £1,500 from Surrey CYVS which will allow us to do some essential repairs to the front fencing, the entrance hall, and all our fire doors - the general effect overall should be a great improvement visually as well as practically.

Trees Down - January 2007

With a night of high winds in January we lost six of the evergreens that formed a screen between us and the houses at the back of the property. I think both ourselves and our neighbours were equally surprised to each other! Negotiating with a local tree surgeon we managed to get the trees down for a reasonable price by allowing him to fit us in between other more urgent jobs. And then we were lucky in finding that the Boidier Hurst Service Team were prepared to clear the logs and the foliage for us for the cost of the van hire - and a very excellent job they made of it too!

Access Ramp complete - 2006

We have successfully completed the ramp to the Ranger Hut, making this area fully accessible to wheelchair users as well as a safer emergency exit for all. With the expected refurbishment of the Hall toilets to include a uni-sex accessible toilet in summer 2008, and the changes to the kitchen we made last summer, this will make our premises fully accessible to those of limited mobility and reach.

Big Push on Toilet Refurbishment - 2006

Having received a generous grant of £5,000 from Surrey County Council towards the costs of refurbishing our ageing toilets, a number of enquiries about our provision for disabled access made us realise that whilst the building as a whole was wheelchair friendly, we had no specific toilet provision. A quick reassessment of the refurbishment programme showed us that we were now about £18.000 short of what would be needed to create a unisex 'disabled toilet' as well as the original refurbishment. The cost of carrying out the original plans, and then providing disabled access later, was going to be considerably more, so the push is now on to raise enough to do the 'whole job' next summer. Luckily we think we have found a builder sympathetic to our needs and problems, and are now keeping our fingers crossed that either we will be granted a time extension, or that one or more of our current applications for additional funding will come through.

Rangers Move in - January 2006

When Stoneleigh Methodist Church looked for volunteers amongst its ageing membership to redecorate an under-used meeting room, there were plenty who were willing but few able to climb the ladders etc.

To the rescue came Epsom Division Rangers, the Senior Section of the Girlguiding movement, who willingly picked up the paint brushes and rollers provided by the church and set to with enthusiasm and, it has to be said, quite a lot of noise.

Nevertheless only two hours later the walls were complete, leaving only the detail work to be completed by the Church members before the room could become fully available again.

The new Epsom Division Ranger Unit, so successfully established by Clare Miller, has decided to use Dell Lane as their main base and they have taken over the hut used by the Dell Joint Unit until its closure in 2004. Their initial plans are to repaint the inside and to make the appearance a little 'warmer.' We wish them every success.

Hall redecoration - Summer 2005

Donations of labour and materials from companies seeking to support their local community (all of the Scout & Guide Leaders are unpaid volunteers) are always welcome - a recent visit by the 'Helping Hands' team of EDF resulted in a fresh new look for the main Hall - as well as their splendid efforts we were very grateful to receive donations of paint and other materials from local sources.