A Scout group once visited by the movement's founder, Lord Baden Powell, is planning to build on his legacy.

Scouting in Aylesford goes back more than 80 years when meetings were held at The Friars, and in 1926 Lord Baden Powell came to see the group for himself.

Now 1st Aylesford Scout group has outgrown its base at the Old Forge off Station Road and has launched a £500,000 fund raising campaign for a new headquarters which could be used by the whole village.

It is appealing for help to raise the money for the eco-friendly building which it hopes could be available for the whole village, with a focus on outdoor pursuits.

The Old Forge, which has been the group’s home for many years, has no toilets, no running water and no allocated parking. Group Scout leader Ian Wheatley said: “When the group began meeting there we only had a few children. Now we have more than 100 children and the group has expanded and now includes girls.

“The new building would have full disabled access and would be available for all young people to use in Aylesford."

For the full story see this week's Kent Messenger