Taking Stock

We've made a huge amount of progress over the last year, so I thought it might be worth an illustrated summary of progress and status.  This blog, along with our main website, has been tracking progress; this post should bring everyone up to date with what has been happening and where we currently stand.

By way of a reminder, the Aquativity project is about creating and running a new inland boating centre at Testwood Lakes, near Totton in South Hampshire.  The centre will be run exclusively for young people's groups and disabled boating groups, led by 4th New Forest North (Eling) Sea Scouts.  The new centre will also provide the new permanent headquarters for this active Royal Navy Recognised Sea Scouts Group.

An early design impression

For quite a few years, the project has been in a planning and initial fundraising phase.  It took some time to get to having full planning permission and a detailed design acceptable to the local authority's building control body.  Throughout this design phase, we were raising funds through running local events, applying for grants and getting donations from a range of people and bodies.  We finally got past planning and into the building phase in May 2011, a time of great celebration for all involved.

Work starts on 24 May 2011

 Through June and July, we continued to dig down to form the outline of the building, compacted the ground to provide a stable foundation, put in the concrete footings and brickwork for the walls, then laid the concrete raft on which the building was to sit.

At the start of August there was a sudden change of pace in the apparent progress of the build.  The timber frame and scaffolding arrived and went up very quickly, in two quick stages, with the assistance of a crane and a team of experts.

Stage 1 of the timber frame going up in August

How we achieved raising £20,000 in a year

The frame for the 2 storey building was rapidly topped off by the roof timbers ready for the slates to go on.  Of course, while all of this was going on, the fundraising never stopped, not least with Totton Carnival, the annual Donkey Derby in July, Grand Draw throughout the summer, and NatWest Community Force voting in October (for which we are eagerly awaiting the results).  All this effort ended up with the fantastic result of us achieving our aim of raising £20,000 in a year, every penny being matched by a generous charitable trust.

Ready to start putting the slates on

Progress continued rapidly through September, October and November, with roofing, windows and doors, and cladding.

Windows go in

We are now in the enviable position of having a completed shell ready for fitting out, and doesn't it look fantastic with its smart black cladding, classical slate roof and light pouring in through the windows into the first floor!

Facing the lake with fantastic views from the first floor above the boat store with its big double doors

Main entrance, with some work to do outside ready to welcome members and guests

More photos and details of the completed shell on the Aquativity website.

So, what next?

We have some finishing off to arrange around the shell, such as some drainage work, then the first 'room' we aim to be completed will be the boat store.  We'll get rid of the shipping container and get our boats moved in, while we work on the changing rooms, showers and toilets.  All of this, of course, will need electrical fittings, water and waste water connections, plumbing, heating and hot water.

Then onto the galley kitchen, meeting rooms, equipment storage, foyer, stairs and lift, then main hall, meeting rooms, kitchen and toilets upstairs.

So plenty of work to come in 2012 - more fundraising, more detailed planning, building work, equipping everything ready to use, and then getting the centre into operation.  Thank you to everyone who has helped us get this far.  If anyone can help us accelerate getting the centre open for business - cash donations, labour, materials, contacts, fundraising plans... - please don't hesitate to get in touch.