Effingham Village Recreation Trust (EVRT) are using heavy-handed tactics to force Effingham Scouts to sign up to new terms that will make Scouting at the current location unviable.

Our children in Effingham and the surrounding villages are being prevented from safely accessing the Effingham Scout hut by EVRT. By locking the access gate to a safe drop-off area next to the Scout hut, EVRT are attempting to coerce Effingham Scouts to sign up to worse terms with significantly higher fees.

The future of Effingham Scouts is threatened by these new terms and fees. As a charity run by volunteers for the benefit of local children aged 5 to 18, Effingham Scouts do not have the funds to meet EVRT’s demands. Nor do they wish to hand over their Scout Hut to be run by another authority.

EVRT was appointed to run KGV (King George V playing fields) for the benefit of Effingham and the surrounding area. They are acting at odds with their stated aim of benefiting the “community’s health through the sport and fitness, recreation, relaxation, social contact and wellbeing available from a visit to the site”

Please petition EVRT to allow Effingham Scouts to keep their existing terms and fees, support our local children and ensure the long-term survival of the Scouting movement in Effingham petition here 

Scouts have been operating under service terms that have been entirely acceptable to both parties for the last 7 years. These expired in Sep 2023, but it is unclear why changes to current terms have been proposed rather than a renewal of current/like for like as the indicated. The expired licence also states the fees will not be increased at any future renewal of this licence (see document highlight)

What key changes are EVRT demanding through introduction of new terms?

• A new and significant service fee
• New terms for the Scout-owned and funded hut, significantly:
  • EVRT to take over management of any Scout hut bookings
  • EVRT to take 80% of the hire fee (Scouts to continue to be solely responsible for all outgoings, services, security, maintenance, heating etc of the hall)
  • Removal of ‘sole use’ of the Scout hut and new terms positioning EVRT as implied landlord and effectively relegating Scouts to user status of its own hall, with terms such as implementing inspections of the scout hut, but no specified levels of service, no specified expectations of on what Scouts will need to do to remediate any potential issues identified by EVRT and no threshold for expenditure on what would be required by Scouts to meet whatever EVRT require.
• New terms require permission to be sought from EVRT if the Scouts want to leave the hut and use the playing fields for their Scouting activities (we understand this to include scenarios such as playing run games around beside the hut or practicing map skills on warm/dry evenings)

Why are these changes so significant and problematic for Effingham scouts?

• Effingham Scouts do not have the resources to fund the new Service fees that EVRT are demanding:
  • Effingham Scouts is a volunteer run, not-for-profit organisation, income is through children’s subscriptions and ad-hoc fundraising, majority of outgoings cover the running the hut. Last financial year Effingham Scouts barely managed to cover the running costs.
• Agreeing to the EVRT service fee sets the principle that it will be paid year-on-year, and subject to increases with no consideration of Scouting affordability, as we understand is happening to other users of KGV, some of whom have had to find alternative locations for their clubs/matches etc.
• To-date the rationale and transparency for the introduction of the service fees and changed terms is not answered. There is likely a shortfall in funds, but how EVRT is addressing this fairly with all KGV users is not answered. Is the Scout organisation being unfairly targeted?
• Part of the service fee is to fund a fenced off area:
  • EVRT is making the claim that the Scouts require a fenced off area, however this is not correct. Scouts do not need or want a fenced off area, it is most likely to support a business venture that EVRT wish to run from the Scout Hut (a forest school).
  • It is not practical nor fair for residents to book in advance for ad-hoc use of the wider playing fields. The playing fields are open to all, but if in Scout attire they aren’t now allowed?
• The proposed new contract is in effect making Scouts a user of its own hall without the autonomy to run it in the most cost-effective manner it chooses and to effectively subsidise the EVRT business expansion plans.