That's because South Lanarkshire councillors have given them the go-ahead to lease and refurbish Low Waters Hall in Hamilton, giving them a ‘home’ for the first time in two decades.

An application by the Trustees of the Clyde Scouts – run day to day by the town’s 112th Lanarkshire Scouts - for a Community Asset Transfer was agreed by councillors at a recent meeting of the Housing and Technical Resources committee.

The proposal is for the Scouts to take a 20-year full repairing and insuring lease, refurbish the property and continue to manage the hall as a community facility. Now, the group will set about fundraising to allow them to rejuvenate the hall and make it a ‘thriving community hall to be proud of’.

Said Councillor Josh Wilson, Chair of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee: “This Scout group has been going strong for more than 20 years and, at the moment, has a membership of more than 100 local young people, with a growing waiting list.

“The transfer of Low Waters Hall to them will mean they can increase the number of sessions they can offer and so reduce their waiting list, giving more young people the chance to become part of the group and take advantage of the many life opportunities and benefits that come from being a member of the Scouts. The group is also keen to engage with other local organisations to offer even wider community use of the facility.

“The group has a strong record of generating funding for projects, large and small, and I am confident that with the Scouting organisation, and the local community, behind them, they can breathe life into the facility and build it up once again to create cultural, educational and recreational opportunities for all.”

Gary Ward, Group Scout Leader of 112th Lanarkshire Scouts said: “Our Christmas wish has come true, and we now have a hall that we can call our own. This has been a long time in the planning, and we feel both privileged and excited about the new venture for us. Now the hard work starts, but we have a fantastic group and great support from parents and guardians so we know that we will make a success of this. 

“Having this hall will enable us to increase our group size and give many more children the opportunity to experience scouting and become more involved and embedded in the local community. It’s all about ‘Skills For Life’; so, here’s to 2022 and beyond."