Sea of Support

The group, which is home to dozens of Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, is in danger of losing its base on the edge of Southampton Water due to extensive foreshore erosion which is threatening the existence of the Scout hut.

The site, in Shore Road, Hythe, is owned by New Forest District Council. It has been home to Hythe Sea Scouts since the mid-1970s with youngsters enjoying a variety of activities including sailing, camping and orienteering. Although the council owns the land and the building, the Scouts are responsible for the upkeep of both. However, extensive erosion over recent years has now resulted in the Scouts issuing an SOS to raise £80,000 to fund new sea defences.

Chris Godfrey, who works at ExxonMobil Fawley and is the chairman of the fundraising committee, said: “We have had great support from the local community since launching our appeal. So far we have managed to raise £24,000, which is a fantastic sum. Although we still have quite a way to go to reach our target, we are making steady progress.”

The club’s appeal has been boosted with a £2,000 contribution from ExxonMobil at Fawley. Alison Jones, Community Affairs Manager at Fawley, recently visited the Scouts and heard more about the appeal. She said: “Hythe Sea Scouts is a great place for young people to take part in fun activities and learn valuable new skills at the same time. We are delighted to make this contribution towards the appeal. We wish the fundraising committee the best of luck in reaching its £80,000 goal as soon as possible.”

The club also managed to add another £1,000 to the appeal total thanks to a sponsored cycle ride at the end of March, with Cubs and Scouts all taking part. In addition, there are number of other fundraising activities in the pipeline. Chris said: “We will have three stalls at Hythe Village Fete on Monday, May 29. These will be a “Dunk the Scout”, “Bat a Rat” and a football tombola. Please come along and support us.

“Also, there will be a race night with a bar and barbecue at the Scout hut on June 17 and, after the success of our first quiz night at The Glen pub early this year, we are planning a repeat evening there on Friday, July 7. Get a team together and come along.”

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the appeal can do so online at 

https://mydonate.bt.com/events/halttheerosion/330954

Notes for editors:

• ExxonMobil at Fawley is the collective name given to Esso Petroleum Company Limited and ExxonMobil Chemical Limited which are part of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
• The Fawley refinery is the largest in the UK. Approximately one in six cars in the UK operates on fuel produced at Fawley.
• Exxon Mobil Corporation is the world’s leading publicly-traded petroleum and natural gas company.
• Approximately 75,000 employees work for ExxonMobil across six continents with more than 1,000 employees working at Fawley.
• Over the past six years, ExxonMobil at Fawley has contributed in excess of £1m in community support.