The Bolton Scout Trust has been awarded funding for project

The Bolton Scout Trust which runs Bibby’s Farm Scout Activity Centre has been awarded £250,000 towards replacing the activity barn at their centre based in Chorley.

Permissions were granted for the activity barn project when the site originally opened in 2005 and the recent grant award means that along with existing reserves, the project can at long last make a start.

The existing activity barn was an old agricultural building converted into an indoor space for storage, shelter and so the site could deliver activities such as climbing, archery and so on when the weather is poor.

Over the coming months, volunteers will be working to empty the existing building and create alternative activity locations ready for building to commence as soon as practical.

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It is anticipated that work could commence early in 2024 and potentially be completed within the year.

Diane Hawkins, Chairman for the Bolton Scout Trust said: “We are so pleased to receive this significant funding.

“We have had success with many funders in recent years but really struggled to fund the activity barn as it is such a large project.

“Finally, we can take Bibby’s Farm forwards to the next level in its evolution to provide better facilities for even more young people.”

Bibby's Farm (Image: Bibby's Farm)Pete Sturgess, Centre Manager for Bibby’s Farm said: “Over many years, our volunteers have coped with an activity barn that is in a quite poor state that doesn’t match the quality of their activity equipment or delivery of instruction.

“At long last, we will be able to bring the quality of this building up to match that of the rest of Bibby’s Farm.”

Bibby’s Farm Scout Camp Site and Activity Centre opened in May 2005 and has been a source of life-changing experiences for tens of thousands of young people ever since.

Bibby’s Farm is open to all youth organisations from scouts and guides to youth groups, schools, colleges, and young people undertaking their Duke-of Edinburgh Award expeditions with over 30,000 young people visiting each year.

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