• Home
• About Walton Firs
• Events
• News

• Experiences
• Finding old friends
• Support
• Links
• Management Organisation
• Contact us

Newsletter No. 4 - The purchase of Walton Firs

Donations so Far

Things are moving along very well and we currently have in the bank close to £190,000, together with additional confirmed pledges of £175,000, receipt of which are anticipated over the next few months.

We are therefore very nearly half way there and with many events now planned for 2007, I am sure we will make good progress in 2007 towards our target of £800,000.

Our Grand Summer Event

Much planning has gone into this and invitations will be sent out with the Surrey distribution at the beginning of January.

We have space for 300 people on 30 tables and already have commitments by patrons and other supporters for 8 of these tables.

We expect that it will be an evening full of fun and interesting moments.

We of course need support from everybody by participation, the provision of items for auction and to raffle.  If you would like information on this event, or can help with auction items, please look on the website or contact Cliff Palmer at cliffpal@tiscali.co.uk.

Founder Members

With Leatherhead District having become the first Founder Member District, we are also anticipating another to raise their £20,000 in the next few weeks, which will give them a 10% reduction on camp fees for the future.

Press Publicity

Articles in local newspapers, and in particular, enthusiastic support from Esher News & Mail has helped our progress. 

Vicky Leigh, who has been working with Alison Cox on this is currently taking a couple of days off, as we are pleased to confirm the arrival of her daughter Lauren Summer.    We are delighted that both Vicky and Lauren are doing well and we congratulate them both on the happy event.

Future Events

The next fund-raising group meeting is scheduled for Thursday 1st February at 7.30 pm at St. James’s Church Hall in Weybridge.  This is open to all and enables us all to catch up and be advised on the progress being made by all of the individual fund-raising groups and activity organisers.

Please do come along as on that evening, we will be announcing the events proposed for 2007.  We are certain these are going to provide an outstanding opportunity to enhance the knowledge of Walton Firs by the local population generally and, without doubt, help enormously towards raising the money we now need to buy the site and then perhaps some more to enhance further the excellent facilities at Walton Firs.

Walton Firs Service Team

Many initiatives have been taken by the Service Team in assisting on fund-raising events at Walton Firs and developing items for sale to provide funds. 

There are currently available:

• Polo shirts
• Walton Firs blanket badges
• Wrist bands
• Lapel pin badges

the sale of all of which will provide monies towards the Foundation.

If you think you can assist in the sale of any of these items, or would like to buy some, please call Dave McIntosh, the Warden at Walton Firs, on 01932 863243 or email him at thewarden@waltonfirsscoutcamp.co.uk

Walton Firs Calendars

Calendars are also available from Walton Firs with 12 views of the site.  These can be purchased at £3.50 each and again, please contact Dave McIntosh, the Warden at Walton Firs, to place your orders as soon as possible.

Walton Firs Environmental Award

Dave and Sue McIntosh recently attended an Awards Ceremony of the South East England Business Group for the Surrey Sustainable Business Awards evening.  Walton Firs were presented with an award on that occasion for their contribution on environmental awareness.

Charities Aid Foundation

Walton Firs Foundation is now registered for the ‘Give as you Earn Scheme’.  This will be administered by Oliver Davies, whose email contact is ohdavies@tiscali.co.uk. 

If you would like to register under the Give as you Earn Scheme, please contact Oliver.  Also, if you know of others who might wish to give in this way, please pass them Oliver’s contact details.

Christmas

With the Surrey distribution at the beginning of  December, the Foundation will be sending out a suggestion that we try to find those who are no longer connected with Scouting, but have great memories of Walton Firs and who might like to give a present to the future generations of young people by supporting the acquisition of the site.

Hopefully, this can be organised by small monthly standing orders which in Gift Aid terms, may be a small amount per month, but will, over the two year anticipated time frame, add up to a substantial amount.

Rotary Clubs

We are having success in approaching Rotary Clubs and are extending the contacts now to Round Tables and local Masonic Lodges, who again will have many members with fond memories of the site.

If you have any specific contacts, we could approach, please let us know.

Other Fund-Raising Events

If you have other fund-raising events you propose to organise, please let us know and we can then try to find additional support or help which you might need.  Many events are being organised quite independently of the Foundation and donations are coming in from all sorts of young people’s groups and business clubs.

As you will have seen from the first item in this newsletter, our support has been fantastic and continues to give us encouragement that we will reach the target of fund-raising we need to complete to purchase the site, perhaps even by the deadline for acquisition of 30th June 2008.

Keep going, we are nearly halfway here!