Snow at the lakes

For the 2nd time in 2 weeks, we've had snow at Testwood Lakes.  This time the main lake has frozen and there is snow lying on the ice.  I got a few photos - here's a selection to show the beauty of this site.  A great place for the Aquativity Centre when it is ready.

Not much chance of swimming today!

All is well at the boat store

This will be the view from the building (without the container)

Plenty of wildlife, but much of it is out on the ice at the moment

PS We had our meeting on Monday - no big news to report, we just discussed some detailed business about building plans, finances, fundraising and status on the issues I've recently mentioned on this blog.

Next project team meeting

We're getting together tomorrow night for a pre-Christmas drink with our building contractor and a chat over everything that is going on - funding, building regs, utilities connections, Sailability and pontoon, equipment...

As usual, I'll post any news arising from this meeting here.

Kayaks

Back in the late summer, many of the Sea Scouts took part in a sponsored boating day on the lake.  They sailed, rowed and paddled all day and raised money for every lap they completed.  The aim was to raise enough to buy a kayak or 2, as a start to rebuilding our fleet to replace the old kayaks which have had their day.  It was a really successful day, and raised well over £600, so we were hopeful of getting 2 kayaks or at least most of the money towards them.

Then Martin, our Boating Manager, noticed a set of 6 second hand kayaks for sale on eBay.  They were of the type and size we need, and appeared to be relatively new and in good condition.  So, some tactical bidding and a trip to Oxford later, and we have 6 kayaks sitting in the boat shed behind the old hut, paid for by the Sea Scouts themselves.  It is always so much more satisfying to see equipment coming in as a direct result of the efforts put in by young members of the Group.

Well done and thank you to Martin and to the Sea Scouts, leaders and instructors who put the effort in to get these.

We are expecting 2 more kayaks soon as a donation from the local Rotary Club (just need to get the detailed quote from the supplier so they can be ordered).  So we are well on our way to getting the 20 kayaks we need for the Aquativity fleet, as well as looking forward to new sailing dinghies and rowing boats when we can get them.  We've still got some pretty good leads for securing some money for all this equipment; watch this space for news when these leads turn into cash!

Craft stall report

Phil, who was running his craft stall raising money for us yesterday, has sent in this report...

Hi All

Just a quick update on how the Sunnyfields thing went.

We raised £62.

This is not what we'd hoped for but that market is a shadow of it's former self.
There were maybe 6 other stalls and I doubt if more than 200 people came through all day.
So, although the total is disappointing the take up rate is actually very encouraging.
A lot of people who didn't buy took away an Aquativity flyer so it was also successful as an awareness raising exercise.
Sunnyfields are having a Xmas market on the 22nd and 23rd so we'll try again then and see if they get more footfall.
They've agreed to us having a free stall on the 23rd.

On the whole, I think that this is worth pursuing as both a fundraising and a marketing exercise.
We just need to find the right place to do it.

It's also a way of involving parents who produce craft work and might not have an outlet for their work - or be too shy to sell it directly.

The goal might be to have an Aquativity/4thNFN craft stall every 3 months at a successful market like Lyndhurst, the New Forest Show, Sunnyfields at Christmas and our own Donkey Derby.
There must be others.

Anyway, thanks to all who supported this one.
Not a great result in terms of cash in, but lots of positives to build on.

Phil

Thanks again to Phil, that's another £124 (2x £62) towards our total - if anyone has any good ideas for doing something similar (or totally different!) to raise some money, please email us or leave a comment.

The next fundraising idea

One of our Scout's parents has taken the initiative to use his talents to raise some money and awareness for the project.  This coming Saturday he is running a stall at the local farmers market to sell hand-made pots.  As well as donating his profits, he is also handing out flyers (see below) to let people know what we're doing.

Please go along to Sunnyfields Farm this Saturday 11th December to support him, and buy a pot or two.  Many thanks Phil, and good luck.

Bag packing results

Having made £872 at the end of October by packing bags for shoppers at the local Asda supermarket, we've had a re-run today.

With huge numbers of people in Asda today filling their cupboards after the last few days of snow and ice, and over 50 members of the Sea Scout Group on duty, we've had a great day.  Thank you very much to everyone who organised, led or took part in this great group effort, and thank you also to the management, staff and customers of Totton Asda for their generosity.

And the result of all this effort today...

£1,022

Well done everyone!

So the 2 bag packing sessions, including match funding, have raised a wonderful £3,788 - pretty good for 2 days' work.

Here's the updated chart of the money we've raised against our year's £20,000 target, to maximise the funds we can have doubled by our charitable benefactors.

All told, we're now at about £3,000 (or £6,000 when match funded) raised so far since the beginning of October, still aiming for the £5,000 interim target for the end of December - plenty of pre-Christmas buying and selling on eBay and through easyfundraising.org.uk will help us on the way - see my previous post for how your use of these sites can get us some more money.

Brief meeting report

...and it was a brief meeting, not least because it was on the lake's shore in a few inches of snow at about -3 Celsius so none of us wanted to hang around chatting for too long!

This was a meeting this afternoon between members of the project team and Southern Water who own Testwood Lakes.  We discussed:
Water supply - progress on that front and agreement in principle.  We have some more work to do on finalising that but we have a way forward.
Electrical supply - progress there too and again agreement in principle.  We have established that the existing supply at Testwood Lakes has sufficient capacity to let us take a feed from it.  We need to sort out details of exactly where we tap in and our cabling starts, and agree details like meter reading arrangements, but this is looking very positive.
Waste water - the concern there was to avoid the need for a huge underground sealed tank - very expensive to install and run, and very disruptive to the site to get it installed.  There was also the ongoing risk of leakage into the lake.  Our preferred solution was a grey water system in which the waste is filtered and cleaned and the clean water discharged into a nearby ditch.  We examined the proposed ditch which contains flowing water (despite the freezing conditions).  Following the ditch along, it is clear that it flows through a culvert at the main entrance to the site, then out to the River Blackwater downstream from the site.  On finding this to be the case, again we have agreement in principle to this approach, which is excellent news.
Pontoon - behind the scenes, Sailability and Southern Water have been working with a potential supplier and have a design and approach that should be acceptable to all and meets the needs well.  So this is also looking very positive for Sailability to be able to progress along with us.

So, all in all, a very worthwhile discussion with clear next actions on all fronts.

Meanwhile, there was some interesting birdlife out on the lake, which wasn't actually frozen today despite the cold - Canada Geese and Cormorants among others - this place really is a great backdrop for meetings!

Activities for the first week of December

A few things happening on the project this week to let you know about:

Fleet Management

3 of us (Chairman, Group Scout Leader and Boating Manager) met on Monday to discuss 2 closely related matters - funding for the fleet of boats we need, and plans for the practical operation of the centre once it is ready.  We discussed issues like

• what state is our current fleet in,
• what replacements/additions do we need,
• how long would we expect the equipment to last (and hence what depreciation and rolling replacement programme do we need to budget for),
• how much money is involved now and in the future,
• where might we look for potential funding sources,
• who do we expect to use the boats and what other resources might we need to offer,
• what restrictions or practical difficulties might there be around who can use the facilities and equipment,
• how much would we charge groups for using the facilities, equipment, instructors etc. that we offer,
• what level of administration might be involved and what people and tools will we need to support that,
• how closely do the boating needs of the Sea Scouts (at the Aquativity Centre and beyond) match the needs of the wider users of the Aquativity Centre, and what impact does any mismatch have on fleet management.

This meeting will lead to the refinement of the Sea Scouts Boating Strategy and the development of a related Aquativity Centre Operational and Equipment Strategy.  More work and discussions within the Group and with some potential partners required here, but we are making good progress on that front, including the possibility of some new funding for boats coming along - I'll let you know if and when that comes to fruition.

Utilities Connections

In my last post, I mentioned that we are trying to sort out connections for electricity and water, as well as making arrangements for waste water.  We have a meeting arranged with Southern Water about these issues, tomorrow (weather permitting, with a good blanket of snow on the ground today).  The other item on the agenda is arrangements for the pontoon needed to enable the establishment of a Sailability Club on site.

Fundraising

This Saturday 4th December, we now have a good number of people signed up to do bag packing at Asda throughout the day.  This is the 2nd such event in recent weeks, and we are hopeful of an excellent turnout from members of the Sea Scout group, to enable us to raise a significant amount of new funding (all of which will be worth double under the fund matching arrangement we currently have available to us).  So if you are reading this as a member of the group and you haven't arranged your bag packing session on Saturday yet, hopefully you know who to contact.  If you are unsure, send an email here and I'll get you in touch.  And if you are in Totton on Saturday, please call into Asda and we'll pack your bags for you in return for a donation (if you've got no bags to pack, that's fine, just give us a donation anyway!).

And on the subject of fundraising (details taken direct from our recent Group newsletter), here are some EASY, and dare I say it, PAINLESS ways to help. The great news is that everything we raise until next September will be MATCHED POUND-FOR-POUND...

Fundraising Idea 1 – Sell Things! - on eBay
We are now registered as a charity on eBay.
If you are an ebay seller you can donate between 10 - 100% of your final selling price to the group. Every time you list an item for charity, you’ll get a fee credit on your basic insertion and final value fees equal to the percentage you donate.
Once you’re ready to sell your item, go to the Sell hub and select ‘Advanced Sell’. As you’re filling out the details, look out for the charity box just below where you set your price. Select 4th New Forest North (Eling) Sea Scouts and the percentage (10%-100%) of your final selling price that you'd like to donate. The minimum donation is £1 per listing.
A week after your item sells, MissionFish (eBay's charity partner) will automatically collect the donation from you. You can also manage your donations through the 'My Donations' section of My eBay, under the My Account tab. Any fee credits will appear on your next invoice.

Fundraising Idea 2 – Buy Things! - on eBay
When you pay through eBay Checkout for an item you’ve won, you can give £1 to the sea scouts. Here's how to set 4th New Forest (Eling) Sea Scouts as your favourite charity:
1. Sign into My eBay and visit your Donation Account, under the Account Tab
2. Click on ‘My Favourite Charities’ under My eBay
3. Search for 4th New Forest (Eling) Sea Scouts and click ‘Save as a Favourite’
Remember to activate your GIFT AID declaration via your donation account to boost every £1 you donate by an extra 28p, at no cost to you.

Fundraising Idea 3 – Buy More Things! - via easyfundraising.org.uk
Many of us buy stuff online.
easyfundraising.org.uk gets the companies you buy from to donate to a good cause (and there are few better than the Sea Scouts!) so long as you go through their website first. It costs you nothing other than a few minutes to register and a couple of extra clicks each time you shop.
The money comes from someone else! For example, Amazon, The Book People, Boden and M&S will donate 2.5% of what you spend. Gap will donate 3.5% and Groupon 6%! eBay donate 15% (of the seller’s
fee). Supermarkets offer a once only flat rate donation when you begin online grocery shopping with them. Many utilities and telecoms companies do the same when you switch to them (offering donations of up to £40!).
There is almost nothing that cannot be bought through easyfundraising, so please register now:
1. Go to easyfundraising.org.uk
2. Click on “Register as a user”
3. Select the charity/organisation you wish to donate to (we are listed as 4th New Forest North Sea Scouts)
4. Fill in your details and then click on “Register”
You then just need to remember to log in to easyfundraising.org.uk first before you do any more shopping online!

So let me particularly highlight the last of these ideas - you may have noticed that Christmas is coming, so lots of you will be buying presents online at the moment - instead of going straight to Amazon or your other favourite site, follow the instructions above (you only need do this the first time you use this service), then go to easyfundraising.org.uk and click through to Amazon or your other favourite site.  It costs you nothing but a few extra seconds and clicks, and not only will we get the 2.5% or similar of everything you spend, we'll also be able to fund-match to get twice as much!

AND through December, if you've registered as a user, easyfundraising.org.uk has an advent calendar competition with lots of great prizes every day (just visit their site each day and click on the day's window), and lots of offers with their retailers.  So it is in your interest to use the site, as well as helping us and our project.

Oh, and did I mention the bag packing on Saturday? 

I'm looking forward to a great turnout and a great day's takings - it will make a big difference to our funding position.

Why are we not building yet?

Many of you may be reading this blog and thinking - so you've got (most of) the money for phase 1, you've got a design and you've had planning permission for a while - what are you waiting for?

We have had a number of blocking issues, and a number of false dawns.  Those of you who have known about this project for some time will have heard things like "the foundations will be going in within weeks" or "just clear this last hurdle and we'll be building" several times.  This has been very frustrating for all involved, so I thought it might be useful to list some of the bigger issues and their current status.

Finance - until September 2010 we were considerably short of the money we needed to build Phase 1.  As I mentioned in a post last week, that all changed when we were found by a charitable trust who have pledged £50,000 to help us, and match funding for the next £20,000 we raise in the coming year.  So finance is not a major issue for Phase 1.  It is an issue we still need to address for Phase 2, but that is not currently preventing us from making progress.

Building Regulations Approval - this process started in the Spring of 2010 and has not yet completed, much to our frustration.  The building and site are not typical, so there have been many complications along the way.  We expect many centre users with disabilities, so meeting all disability access provisions has been a particular concern, but we believe everything is now in place for that.  Foundation design approval has been very drawn out - the approval engineers need to be sure that the building is erected on adequate foundations to avoid sinking, slippage or any other type of movement.  Again we think these concerns have now been fully addressed.  All calculations for building component loadings have been submitted and we are chasing down the final approvals.  So we *think* we have done everything required, but we don't yet have a piece of paper saying that all is approved!  We don't want to risk starting building until we have approval - we might yet get a shock in being told that some fundamental issue is wrong.

Electricity Supply - we need one for heat, light, security, lift etc.  We know there is a high voltage cable running through the site, but don't want the expense of tapping into that and transforming down to the supply we need.  There are 2 existing buildings on the site (wildlife centre and a small toilet block) and they both have electricity, so we knew there was a supply available to them.  After some investigations, we confirmed that they are supplied by a substation owned by Southern Water.  Negotiations are ongoing to get a connection from that - we need confirmation that it has sufficient capacity, that we are allowed to get a connection, that we can establish a metered supply, arrange the price we will pay for the power we use etc.  Next meeting with Southern Water is this Friday.

Water Supply - we need one of those too!  There is a supply to the wildlife centre and toilet block.  The issue now is to confirm the capacity is sufficient to supply the new building too.  We are looking at options like pumps, storage tanks etc. to mitigate the risk of insufficient capacity.  The alternative would be to bring a supply in from off the lakes site - it would be costly and time consuming to bring a new pipe in across multiple landowners' ground and a fairly long distance.  More discussions on Friday with Southern Water.

Waste Water - we need our grey water from showers etc. to be disposed of safely, as well as our waste water from the toilets.  Water recycling systems are a possible option, so long as we can get approval of the discharge site for the cleaned water.  The fallback option is a huge storage tank needing regular emptying, but the cost of purchase, installation and servicing/emptying make this not very attractive.  More discussions on Friday with Southern Water!

Weather - and now it is snowing!  Once the issues above are sufficiently resolved to start with low risk, the first building job is to lay concrete foundations.  We might want to start a day when the ground isn't frozen and under a layer of snow to do that.

This blog was initially intended to tell you about progress rather than excuses for lack of progress, so watch this space - we'll get some progress to report.
 

Building Design

So, what will this building look like?  And what will it provide?

It has been designed for consistency with the wildlife centre run by the wildlife trust up on the top of the hill.  The site is fairly sensitive, being a picturesque nature reserve, so we have taken care to blend in.  Here's an artist's my impression of what the building might look like.

The design is for a 2 storey building.  The foundation is a concrete raft supporting a timber frame, with cladding walls and slate roof.  Shuttered windows will add security, and parking spaces, including designated disabled parking, will be provided right next to the building.

There is an existing slipway for launching the sailing dinghies and safety boats, and a shingle beach for kayaks.  When Sailability join us, they will need a pontoon out into the lake to enable their members to embark in their boats pre-rigged and afloat.  This pontoon is also being designed at the moment.

Downstairs is a boat store for all our equipment, with large doors opening onto the slipway into the lake.  Male and female changing, toilets and showers are also on the ground floor, with separate facilities for disabled users, and a galley kitchen and side rooms.  Stairs or lift take you to the first floor, where there is a large main hall, side meeting rooms and further kitchen facilities.

Here are some further elevation drawings to give you some idea of what is planned.












As for the service and benefits that the Aquativity Centre will actually provide, I can do no better than quote from the project business plan:

"Despite the strong emphasis on boating as part of the lifestyle of the Southampton and Solent region, there is surprisingly no inland, non-tidal water suitable for sailing, canoeing and rowing within 10 miles of Totton.  As well as the obvious practical skills learnt from these activities, the participants gain self-confidence, self-respect, pride, leadership and teamwork skills.  These values form the central ethos of the Scouting movement and are at the heart of this project.  Delivery of the Aquativity Centre to the people of the Totton district will enable a wide cross-section of the community to participate in the drive to build a fitter, healthier Britain in the run-up to, and beyond, the Olympics and Paralympics of 2012.

The project involves designing, funding and building the Centre, followed by the operational phase of running it as both a Scout headquarters and a boating centre for the wider community.

...

There are clear benefits that will accrue from this project for the groups that use it and for the wider community in which it is based.

·       A boating facility for any young people and disabled people in an (approx) 10-15 mile radius around Totton - safe inland water facilities not otherwise available locally

·       Opportunities for anyone using the centre to grow skills in leadership, self-awareness, motivation and self-respect as well as direct boating skills and health and fitness benefits.  This applies to the young and disabled people using the centre, as well as the able-bodied adults providing leadership, instruction and coordination.  This is Scouting at its best, leading the provision of a service to the community

·       A new permanent home for the Eling Sea Scouts, with combined high quality boating and Scout building facilities. This will enable the group to more effectively offer continued challenges and opportunities within the structured framework of a Royal Navy Recognised Sea Scout Group

·       To increase the recreational use of Testwood Lake in line with the stated aims of both New Forest District Council, and the New Forest National Park draft plan"

Money Matters

Ok, so let's talk about funding.

The total building project for Aquativity is expected to cost in the region of £250,000, based on current design and costings.  This is split into two phases:

• Phase 1 is to build the shell of the building, connect to utilities, and kit out the ground floor to the point where we can start using it for boating - a boat store with changing, toilets and showers.  Phase 1 will cost approx. £150,000
• Phase 2 kits out the rest of the building so we can also use both floors for Scouting - large meeting hall, side rooms, kitchen facilities, storage.  Phase 2 will cost a further approx. £100,000

We have been busy raising money for many years and now have, in the bank, £80,000 (to a fair approximation).  This has come from a combination of sources, but primarily lots of hard work on the part of many people.

• An annual Donkey Derby run on Eling Recreation Ground - lots of fun for the local community as well as raising several thousand pounds each summer
• Bag packing by the Beavers, Cubs, Sea Scouts, Explorers and their parents and leaders, at local supermarkets, particularly in the run-up to Christmas, in return for public donations
• Litter picking at local events such as the annual Netley Marsh Steam Fair
• Auctions, fayres and Group family events
• Donations and/or match funding pledges from local businesses
• 2 significant donations from the charitable trust arm of a major local landowning estate

In addition, in September 2010, we met another charitable trust who are keen to help projects such as Aquativity.  They had a good look at everything we do today, and everything we plan to do under the Aquativity project, and have pledged a fantastic £50,000 to add to the current total for use in building Phase 1.

The thermometer to the right shows this overall funding position.

This same trust have also set us a wonderful challenge.  For every pound we raise ourselves in the year September 2010 - September 2011, they will match it, up to a maximum of £20,000.  This match funding applies to everything we raise for this project other than donations specifically for equipment purchase.  So we are busy raising money.  The chart below shows how we are getting on, and how much more we need to do.  The next big event for us is Bag Packing at a local supermarket on 4 December.  We'd love to reach a total of £5,000 by the end of the year - with a good day on 4 December, we have every chance of meeting that target.  I'll post an update after the event with the results.

If we can achieve this £20,000 target, our overall funding will go up to £170,000.  Phase 1 is then sorted from a financial perspective!  We're looking now at grants and donations for Phase 2 - ideas and contacts (and donations) very welcome.

As the money builds, I'll keep charts like these updated - I'll probably move them out of individual posts and out onto the blog homepage so they are always visible, reminding you we need money!

Of course, getting the building up is only one part of the funding challenge.  We need to raise ongoing income to pay for maintenance and services - I'll post more about that another day.  And we need equipment - dinghies, kayaks, canoes etc.  We've been doing plenty on that front too.  The Sea Scouts had a sponsored boating day at the end of the summer and raised approximately enough to buy 2 kayaks.  A local charitable organisation visited us at the lakes in the summer and were impressed enough to buy us another 2 kayaks - the details of that purchase are going through right now.  And we are applying for other grants and working with other organisations to buy and maintain sufficient equipment to run a full boating programme starting in 2011.

First Post - The project to date

Welcome to the Aquativity blog, also known as The Road to Aquativity.

Future posts will be, as you might expect, updates on what is happening day to day on the project.  But many of you might know little or nothing about Aquativity, so it might be worth using this first post for a potted history of the project so far...

4th New Forest North (Eling) Sea Scouts is one of 101 Royal Navy Recognised Sea Scout Groups in the UK.  It has been running for just over 50 years as a Sea Scout Group, based in various locations around Eling and Totton, which lie between the New Forest to the West and Southampton to the East.  We are currently based to the South of Totton, backing onto the Lower Test Nature Reserve at the head of Southampton Water.  Our hut is getting rather old, and despite a recent makeover by a Community Service team, is really on its last legs.  As an active Sea Scout Group, we also spend a lot of time sailing, rafting, kayaking and rowing.  While Southampton Water and its tributaries are very local, they are not ideal for absolute beginners to boating.  So a few years ago we started to look for a new home.

...and we found one at Testwood Lakes, a beautiful nature reserve at the site of some gravel pits to the North of Totton.  As well as providing a haven for wildlife, Southern Water and New Forest District Council wanted to see the site used for recreational boating, but in a controlled way.  So they wanted an organisation to build and manage a facility there, specifically for local youth groups and disabled people's groups to gain access to boating.

Put the last 2 paragraphs together and you get a match.  Aquativity was born as a project run by the Sea Scouts, to provide the Sea Scouts with a new headquarters for land-based and water-based activities, and to provide the community with an accessible boating facility.  We've been running our boating there for the last couple of years now, but no headquarters yet.  Our boat store is currently a tightly packed shipping container, and our changing rooms are 2 pop-up tents with lighting run on a portable generator!

Our 'Boat Store' on the land where the building will go

We've now designed a 2-storey building to go on the shore of the lake, got full planning permission for it, and we are in the process of completing this design to the satisfaction of the building inspectors so we can start building.

Just a few of the issues you should expect to see updates on in this blog are:

• Finance - putting up a building and running it costs money!  We have some, but need more
• Building design - what do we have planned, and how will it be used by different groups
• Planning conditions discharge - we have a set of conditions to meet and discharge with NFDC Planning Control
• Building regulations approval - we can't build without it - working with NFDC Building Control
• Utilities connections - we need electricity, clean water, and somewhere to put our waste water
• Building contractors and materials - we need someone to actually put up the building
• Building status - how are we getting on and what does it look like
• Boating equipment - what do we have, and what do we need
• Instructors and training - who leads the boating sessions and how do they get qualified
• Donations of cash, materials, services and equipments - we have some fantastic benefactors, so we'll let you know when they come along and help us
• Operations planning - who will use Aquativity, and how do we make arrangements for them
• Sailability - the disabled sailing arm of RYA, who want a club at Aquativity and have particular needs we are working with them to meet
• Sea Scouts - what are we doing apart from the Aquativity project
• Boating highlights - events and activities at the lakes and beyond
• Testwood Lakes Management Forum - our partners on the site, who each have their own concerns
• ...and lots more

It's a busy project, run by a busy, thriving group.  Lots to do and lots to tell you about.  Please keep visiting to see what is going on - we'll try to keep you informed on progress, and try not to bore you with all the frustrations we are going through on the way.  And if you have ideas for the project or the way we are recording it, please post your comments.  If you want to offer some help or support, email us.