Progress made at scout camp
" It's been really exciting to watch the progress at the camp, and we aim to host a community open day at the end of May so the public can have a look around."
THE upgrade and refurbishment of the KZN Scouts’ Baden Powell (BP) Camp based at Burman Bush is making good progress, despite the recent rains.
Speaking to Berea Mail on a site visit this week, Steve Camp, a volunteer with KZN Scouts and project manager for the revamp, said he was excited about what has been done on site so far.
“I’m so chuffed, this has taken many years to happen and things are going well with the revamp. It’s been really exciting to watch the progress at the camp, and we aim to host a community open day at the end of May so the public can look around and see what has been done,” he said.
Steve said he was very grateful to German Rover Scouts, Dorothée and Dr Michael Boecker, for helping fund the project, as without them the revamp would never have been possible. The Boeckers spent a week camping at BP Camp in 2008 and fell in love with the camp. They committed to funding the revamp.
The work will be done over three phases, each taking around six months. The first phase, which includes the revamp of the camp site, a dining hall (which will be used as a training centre) and kitchen and ablution facilities as well as fixing up the hall and store rooms and building a warden’s cottage is almost complete.
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“The roof sheeting will go up on the warden’s cottage and the training centre this week and the ablutions have been added onto. A kitchen and separate room on the side of the training centre have been added and construction will be completed on the windows and the veranda soon. Once this is completed, workers will move into the hall. We have a stained glass window which will be installed in the hall in about a month’s time,” he said.
The property has also been completely fenced and electric fencing will be installed in the next two weeks.
Steve said KZN Scouts would be going completely off the grid and an outbuilding has already been prepared to house 25 deep storage batteries to run solar power on site.
“We will be installing panels on the roof of the hall with all wiring to feed into this room. Everything will be on gas as well,” he said.
Steve said the first phase should be completed by the end of August and camps and adult training will start. The open day for the community will be on Saturday, 25 May.
“I have had quite a number of local residents who have been following the upgrade progress, so we are extending an invite to the wider community to come along and have a look around,” he said.
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