The Easter break seems a good time to step back and marvel at what has been achieved in recent weeks.
With our old wooden hut well and truly demolished and disposed of, our focus in recent weeks has turned to making sure we have good and solid foundations for the new construction.
In any new build project the big unknown is always what you might find below ground. We were aware of a large pond that used to exist in the middle of the site 100+ years ago!
This was one reason why we took the decision to go for the more expensive piling method rather than traditional trench-fill.
Our decision has proved the right one. We have now installed 21 concrete piles with reinforced metal rods running to a depth of up to 4.2 metres across the site. Each pile is now firmly sitting on solid rock!
This week has seen metal ground beams being attached to each pile. New waste drainage trenches and tanks have also been dug out and installed.
With a huge amount of concrete also to be delivered and poured in the next week or so we are hopeful that by the end of April this important phase will be completed.
Then we can start to build upwards out of the ground.
In the background there has been significant work and effort going on by a team of parent and trustee volunteers to ensure that any problems are resolved swiftly, decisions are made and that we remain on track. Thank you to all those involved.
In addition a big thank you to Foley Allan, our project managers, alongside our on-site teams at Ingenium Civil Engineering and Milner Foundations for getting us this far.
We have been truly bowled over by the support we have received from local businesses in recent weeks.
Thank you to everyone who has offered us their advice, donations and reduced cost materials and services. These include SIG plc, Kellaway Building Supplies, MB Frames, Swan Structures, Clear Future Architecture and Cook Brown. We really do appreciate it.
We are still very much focussed on our fundraising to ensure we can fit-out the new build with suitable flooring, a modern and efficient sustainable heating system, robust kitchen and toilet areas, as well as external decking, landscaping and bicycle parking shed.
If you would like to help support this community project, please visit www.43rdbristolscouts.org.uk and join our ‘Buy-a-Brick’ campaign. We would love to you to join us on this journey.
