Matthew's mission for homeless scouts
Jul 28 2009 by Justine Halifax, Birmingham Mail
A LIFEGUARD is taking on a mammoth challenge to bolster a fundraising appeal to build a new home for his former scout group which is facing eviction.
The 3rd Wilnecote Scout Group is being made homeless from Wilnecote Parish Church in Tamworth, which has been the home of its headquarters for more than 35 years because of a change in ownership.
The charity failed in its bid to buy the church when it was put up for sale and it was instead bought by the Seventh Day Adventists for their exclusive use.
The scouts now need to find a new base before their tenancy runs out.
But due to a lack of suitable properties the group needs to find a suitable plot of council-owned land to build a purpose-built HQ on, which it hopes will be a community centre. The group, which has more than 60 members, needs to raise between £500,000 and £750,000 to fulfil its dream.
Former scout Matthew Gilliver will attempt the Snowdon Summit Run on August 23 to help bolster the group’s appeal.
The 21-year-old lifeguard said: “As an ex-member of the scout group, and benefitting from the values of scouting, I feel the need to do my bit to help them. It’s such a worthwhile cause.
“I’m going to attempt a summit run, up Snowdon, to try and raise as much money for them as possible.”
He added: “I am just one person and urge anyone who has benefitted in some way, whether directly or indirectly, from the group’s efforts over the many years to help raise funds. Between us we could raise a substantial amount of money.”
Assistant scout group leader and Matthew’s brother 32-year-old Simon Gilliver, a Hams Hall production operative, said: “Our tenancy runs out on January 1, 2012, when we will be homeless. This is a vital, well-supported, group that we need to keep going. It will a real shame for the community if it’s lost.
“We have already raised £50,000 over the last three years and we are looking at lottery grants too, but there’s a long way to go so we are extremely grateful for any support to help us to achieve our goal.”
