Melksham Lions Club has presented a new storage shed to the Melksham & District Guides & Brownies as part of a long-standing relationship in support of the upkeep of their facilities.
Many years ago Melksham Lions were able to give a little help to the local Guides who were looking for somewhere to store their equipment without taking up space in their meeting hut. We were pleased to have been able to provide them with a wooden shed for the purpose, but as with all such structures, it wasn’t to last forever…
Some time after the donation of the shed, Melksham Lions were approached to see if a donation might be possible to assist in the upkeep of the main Guide Hut. It transpired that the Guide Headquarters was in need of quite a bit of repair. Melksham Lions were pleased to give a donation towards the cost of materials for refurbishments, but it didn’t stop there.
Approaches were made to several businesses and organisations who kindly offered to support the project, and so we set to work. Among other things, several windows were repaired and a fire door replaced along with its frame, thanks to the help of a retired local carpenter who graciously donated his time and skills. We were also able to plumb in hot water to the toilet facilities to bring rather more comfort to their use.
Our relationship with Melksham & District Guides is a continuous one and we found that the previously donated shed had fallen into disrepair and was beyond salvage. Fortunately we were able to find a used but good quality replacement and set about the transplant. Under the guidance of a trade professional and with the help of parents and friends of the troop, our newly formed team cleared the accumulation of overgrowth and debris from the area and laid proper foundations for the new structure.
On Wednesday 21 October 2015 a plaque was presented and attached to the new storage shed by Lion Peter Dauncey who has been instrumental in the organisation of this long-standing project, and – the president of Melksham Lions Club – Jim Whyborn.
We would like to acknowledge and thank the following:
Retired local carpenter Gerald Martin, who proved an invaluable asset to our team with the gift of his time and skills. We would have been lost without you Gerald!
Build Base, Bower Hill, for very generously matched our initial grant with building materials.
Cuprinol, for the supply of wood preservative for the new shed.
Andy Strange, for his help and skill in erecting the new shed.
The friends and families of Melksham & District Guides, for getting stuck in.
And last but not least, the members of Melksham Lions Club who gave their time and great effort to these tasks.
The new shed will be used by Melksham & District Guides and Brownies for the safe and dry storage of their equipment and kit. Maintenance of their facilities will undoubtedly be an ongoing task but one that we hope to support along with local businesses and residents as has been done successfully over the past few years. We very much hope to have your support along the way too.
