On Saturday 5 September 2026 we opened the doors of our brand-new Scout HQ on Crown Street to the whole town. It was a project delivered by volunteers, for the young people of Needham Market, and it was nearly twenty years in the making.
- 20 yearsfrom the first fundraising to the first meeting night in our own building
- 130%growth in the Group, even without a proper home
- 17.98 kWpof solar panels, fitted and wired by our volunteers
- £0of build debt: no mortgage, and the bridging loan repaid in full
Where we started
The promise we made
Planning permission was granted in December 2020. The case we put to funders, and to this town, rested on five promises. Every one of those promises has been kept.
- A building that lastsSolid construction on a 99-year lease, not another temporary hut.
- Room to growA hall, meeting room and storage sized for a Group that had already doubled.
- Open to everyoneLevel access throughout, with an accessible WC and shower room.
- Cheap to run, kind to the planetSolar panels, battery storage and an air-source heat pump.
- A home for the townA space Needham Market’s other groups can use too.
The journey
How we got here
- 2008 and beforeNeedham Market Scouts were raising money for a replacement building long before there were any drawings, putting money aside year after year, often for a building they would never use themselves.
- 19 October 2020Architect’s drawings for a replacement building are submitted to Mid Suffolk District Council.
- 15 December 2020Full planning permission is granted for a new Scout hut to replace the old one.
- 2021RSA Geotechnics survey the ground, the Building Control plans go in, and a 99-year lease is drafted with free legal support.
- 2022 to 2024Specifications are drawn up, contractors tender, a build-over agreement is settled with Anglian Water, and we make our case for Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy funding.
- February to April 2024Volunteers clear the old hut and strip it back, ready for demolition.
- 13 April 2024Demolition day. After more than fifty years, the old hut comes down.
- 2025The build year, from groundworks to roof trusses. Our district councillors fund the underfloor heating, bridging funding from Stowmarket District Scouts keeps the work moving, and the final inspection takes place on 16 December.
- 1 to 2 February 2026The solar and battery system is switched on, Mid Suffolk Building Control issues the completion certificate, and every section moves in.
- 5 September 2026Our Opening Day: we open the doors to the town and say thank you to everyone who made it happen.
February to April 2024 · Getting ready
We started by taking it apart
Before the demolition team arrived, our volunteers cleared the old hut, saving everything that could be reused and stripping the inside back to its frame, ready for demolition.
April to December 2024
Then it came down
The old hut, a former RAF building rebuilt by parents in 1973, had housed the Group for more than fifty years. It was demolished on 13 April 2024, and the ground was cleared for new foundations.
March to September 2025
And the new one went up
Floor slab, blockwork, roof trusses, tiles and solar panels: the shell of the building took shape across one long summer.
June 2025 to February 2026
Hands on, all the way through
The shell was built under contract. Everything that makes the building work was fitted by our own volunteers, in their own time.
The bit that doesn’t show up on an invoice
Built by volunteers
Contractors put up the shell. Everything that makes it work was fitted by our own people, in their own time.
- First and second fix electricsThe whole electrical installation, from every cable, back box, socket and light to the consumer unit, was designed, wired, tested and certified by our volunteers.
- 17.98 kWp of solarPanels mounted, strung and wired by volunteers, switched on on 1 February 2026 and accepted by UK Power Networks. They generate around 16,000 kWh a year on our own roof.
- Battery storageSpecified, installed and commissioned by volunteers, so the power we generate in the day is still there on a Tuesday evening in November.
- Heat pump and air conditioningAn air-source heat pump and air conditioning, fitted by volunteers. It’s the reason a hall this size is affordable to heat at all.
Evenings and weekends
All of this was done around full-time jobs and families, by the same people who run the sections every week. It kept many thousands of pounds inside the project that would otherwise have gone on labour.
The building
What we built
- Main hallFull height, timber framed and full of daylight, and big enough for every section to meet properly.
- Meeting roomFor small groups, badge work, trustee meetings and community hire.
- Kitchen and storesThree dedicated stores, so kit lives on site, not in volunteers’ garages.
- Accessible throughoutLevel access, with an accessible WC and shower room.
- Covered entranceA sheltered way in and out, welcome on a wet Tuesday night.
- Solar, battery and heat pumpLow running costs and low carbon, designed in from the start.
When our sections aren’t using it, the HQ is available to hire for clubs, classes, parties and meetings, and every penny goes back into local Scouting.
Delivered
The numbers behind it
The final position on our New Build fund, as reported in our 2025–26 accounts.
- £392,548total project cost
- £255,658from Mid Suffolk District Council, through Section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy
- £25,000bridging loan from Stowmarket District Scouts, repaid in full on 15 January 2026
Principal funding
| Funder | For | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mid Suffolk District Council | Section 106 and CIL | £255,658 |
| Needham Market Institute Trust | Furnishings and equipment | £22,862 |
| Needham Market and Barking Welfare Charities | Solar panels and heat pump | £19,869 |
| Gosling Foundation | Our new trailer | £6,530 |
| The Geoffrey Burton Trust | Tables and chairs | £3,721 |
The balance came from Group funds, local fundraising and the bridging loan, which has since been repaid.
Where that leaves us
- No mortgage and no outstanding build debt
- The building is a Group asset, owned by the charity
- Every restricted grant has been spent on what it was given for
- Running costs are lower than the old hut, thanks to solar and the heat pump
- The electrics, solar, batteries and heat pump were fitted by volunteers, labour that appears nowhere in these figures
Thank you
Every name on this building
Our new Scout HQ was years in the making. Each of these gave money, expertise, time or goodwill.
Funding and grants
- Mid Suffolk District CouncilSection 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy
- Needham Market and Barking Welfare CharitiesLandowners; solar, batteries and heat pump
- Needham Market Institute TrustFurnishings, equipment and running costs
- The Geoffrey Burton TrustTables and chairs for the new hall
- Gosling FoundationOur new trailer
- Gateway 14 Community Benefit FundCamping and activity equipment
- Babergh and Mid Suffolk District CouncilsGrants team support and guidance
- Suffolk County Council Locality BudgetCllr Kay Oakes
- Stowmarket District ScoutsBridging funding for the build
Design and professional team
- Patrick Allen ArchitectsArchitecture and design
- Morrish & PartnersStructural engineering
- BLI ConsultingDrainage design, Richard Martin
- RSA GeotechnicsGround investigation
- SafescopeCDM health and safety
Land, councils and approvals
- Needham Market Town CouncilPlanning applicant for the new building
- Mid Suffolk Building ControlStandards, inspections and sign-off
- Anglian WaterBuild-over agreement for the sewer
Trades, suppliers and specialists
- Suffolk Heating
- Herbert & Justice
- SMH Plastering
- Dean Hammond Decorating
- Rexel UK
- Fogstar Energy
- TradeSparky
- Tru7
- Howdens
- Coastal Building Supplies
- John Parker Fixings
And thank you, Needham Market
To our trustees, leaders and volunteers, to Suffolk Scouts and Stowmarket District, to our parents and carers, and to everyone who donated, lent a hand or kept believing this day would come.
This building is yours too.
Thousands of volunteer hours went into this: writing bids, chasing quotes, meeting contractors on site, wiring the building, fitting the solar panels, the batteries and the heat pump, moving kit, and keeping the sections running the whole way through. Thank you.
Looking forward
What this unlocks
The building isn’t the finish line. It’s the thing that makes the next ten years possible.
- Room to keep growingWe grew by 130% without a proper home. With one, we can take more young people off the waiting list and open new sections, starting with a second Beaver colony.
- A base for volunteersSomewhere to train, plan and store kit properly, which makes volunteering easier to say yes to.
- A community assetSpace other Needham Market groups can hire, bringing in income that helps keep our subs affordable.
Want to know where it all started? Read the story of Scouting in Needham Market, from a rebuilt RAF pistol range in 1973 to today. There are more photos from the build and the Opening Day on our Facebook page.