SCOUTS celebrated the opening of their new hut - seven months after their old one was destroyed in a fire.

The 1st Thurrock Scouts, established in 1909, were devastated when their old building in Cromwell Road, Grays, went up in flames in July last year (2012) after an electrical fault sparked a blaze.
Sentimental artifacts, including pictures, awards and flags, were lost forever after the building, which had been built in 1983, caught light.

But they picked themselves up and started rebuilding their new hut which was officially opened by Thurrock Mayor Yash Gupta.

The scouts, which has 38 members and eight leaders, were helped by a £6,500 grant from the Veolia Mardyke Trust.

Bill Osborne, from the group, said: “It was completely destroyed.

“The insurers have worked with us really well to get the building completely rebuilt. We were insured for the majority, enough to rebuild the building, but it was all the surveyor’s costs and the architecture costs.”

The group have been meeting at the Seabrooke Rise Community House in Grays but after half term they will return to their new building.

Mr Osborne added: “It is great now it is finished. We had lots of ex-members come along to the opening.”

Mayor Yash Gupta unveiled a plaque marking the reopening of the hut.

He added: “I was really delighted to go and open it. Lots of children in this area benefit from that. Some people were there who had been there in the 1970’s.”