30th July 2002
SCOUT DIKE CREATES FLOOD OF INTEREST

A cross-community partnership supported by Barnsley Development Agency's Community Economic Regeneration Team (CERT), is celebrating the overwhelming success of the official re-opening of Scout Dike activity centre in Penistone, Barnsley. Scout Dike re-opened its doors for the first time when it welcomed the first group of schoolchildren to the refurbished activity centre in March. Since then interest in the centre has gathered at a fantastic pace, with this school term fully booked and bookings being taken right through until after summer.

Janet Bibby, BDA’s Community Economic Regeneration Manager, said: “Scout Dike has played an important part in Barnsley's social history over the years, and we are delighted to have played our small part alongside Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust in preserving and developing the facility for the benefit of the whole Barnsley community in years to come.

"Scout Dike is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when individuals and community groups join forces for the benefit of the whole community, with real jobs being created locally as well as great facilities not only for local residents but also for schools and community groups from all over the country and beyond."

Frank Gledhill MBE, operations director at Scout Dike, said: "Janet Bibby and her CERT Team at Barnsley Development Agency have supported us every step of the way. They have been involved in liaising with business and community groups on our behalf, have assisted us with our business plan, and supported and guided us in any other way possible."

Bookings are now being taken for the autumn and winter, and visitors have already been received from as far afield as Russia, as Frank explains: "England Under 16s Rugby and two Russian senior Rugby teams were both here recently, so we can claim to have gained an international reputation already!"

Scout Dike is attractive to sports teams because it can accommodate all the players together in one place, offer excellent training facilities, and exclusivity of setting on the fringes of Penistone overlooking the tranquil Scout Dike lake. It is situated in 10 acres of its own grounds and offers exceptionally good value for money, so it has much to shout about and is expecting to get busier and busier a staff numbers increase and further facilities are developed. The community partnership now managing Scout Dike is determined to make the project work as a sustainable community enterprise in the long-term, and is looking to every opportunity to improve the facilities wherever possible.

In particular, it is hoped that an IT centre can be developed and offered as part of the improved facilities in the very near future.

Frank added: "We have just been successful with a Coalfields Regeneration Trust bid, and we're going to employ at least 14 staff in the short-term. We're hoping for 30-40 people to be employed eventually, and we can offer schools the staff to look after children while they're here, meaning the schools now don't have to send up to five staff with groups of children." Scout Dike has been described as an activities centre, but in truth it offers much more than that. There's a sports field, games rooms, discos, classrooms, a conference room, and accommodation for up to 80 people. It's a high quality of shared accommodation that lends itself well to schools and colleges, sports teams and other community groups. Scout Dike was formerly open 40 weeks a year and is now open 50 weeks a year, with plans to move to opening 50 weekends a year as well.

Frank concluded: "Barnsley Council has been fully supportive of the new group, and has assisted in the granting of a Peppercorn rent. Countless individuals have also given up their own free time to get the centre ready for opening, and we are grateful to each and every one of them."

The centre was originally opened in 1963 and operated as a school for many years. In recent times Barnsley Council have managed the property and used it recently to house Kosovan refugees. Scout Dike is available for training days, weekends, activity weekends for over 50s, and a wide range of other activities for the whole community. If you are interested in booking the facility, or suggesting new activities to add to the ever-growing list, contact Frank Gledhill on (01226) 762285.

For further information on BDA or CERT, contact the BDA's CERT team on 01226 784444.

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