Centre work set to start

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 9

Centre work set to start

Extensions to the Scout Association’s Blue Skies training centre at Kaiapoi will start next week.

The foundation pegs had been laid and the association had enough money to construct the shell, which could be completed in about six weeks, said the public relations officer, Ms Pam Bosworth.

Blue Skies was opened in 1969. It has a convention hall, dining room, commercial kitchen, bunk rooms, and seminar and study rooms. The extension will consist of a two-storey wing with four syndicate rooms, a lounge, games room, kitchen, 21 bedrooms, and a museum.

A campaign to raise money for the $200,000 extensions was launched by the association last year, as

part of its seventy-fifth anniversary celebrations. Although she could not say exactly how much had been raised so far, Ms Bosworth said Christchurch trusts had given generously and scout members were also raising a lot of money. She was confident that more money would be forthcoming to complete the extensions.

The development of a South Island training centre was an exciting venture for the association, she said. Previously all South Island scout leaders had had to train at Tatum Park, Manawatu, which was very expensive. However, the centre would not be used only by scouts but would be available to other outside groups, Ms Bosworth said.