Buderim Foundation Helps Local Scouts Get New Shed - 11 May, 2009

How many sausage sizzles does it take to build a scout shed? Quite a few. But when you add a couple of healthy donations from the local community then the money mounts up.

When Buderim Scouts’ wooden shed at their Lindsay Road headquarters reached the end of its life – with age and termites – scouts sought help from the local philanthropic organisation, the Buderim Foundation, and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council to replace it.

The Foundation made a grant last September of $4,000 in its first round of grants to local community projects. The Council contributed another $7,500 from its sport and recreation fund.

The scouts themselves made up the balance through its own fund-raising activities, including many sausage sizzles.

Scout leaders and parents removed the old shed and the Titan shed company of Yandina poured a concrete slab and built a gleaming new 7m by 6m steel shed.

Venturer Leader Simon Godfrey said the shed was a vital contribution to the development of the Buderim Scouts group. “We have enjoyed tremendous growth over the last couple of years, thanks mainly to the energy and enthusiasm of our leaders.

“The new shed is an overdue contribution to equipping the scouts properly and providing them with all the opportunities that scouting offers,” he said. “We are sincerely delighted that as part of the Buderim community we were given the grant by the Foundation.”

He said the shed had given the scouts a secure and decent storage place for all their equipment, plus some room for further growth. “Thanks to the new shed, scout leaders can concentrate even more time on the young boys and girls.”

Buderim Foundation chairman Gary Hopkins said the Foundation welcomed the opportunity to contribute to such a project which benefitted so many young people in the Buderim community.

He said the Foundation was building a healthy fund to generate income to be given as grants for other worthwhile community projects.

“We are relying on the generosity of Buderim residents for donations toward the funds which will be preserved and only the income used to make grants.”

Mr. Hopkins added that applications for 2009 grants will open next month (June) and that information and an application form are on the Foundation's website.