A special award for the Curly Hill Scout Camp Chair was presented recently as a memorial shelter was unveiled.
Ian Womersley, Scout County Commissioner for West Yorkshire, visited Curly Hill Camp Ilkley to see a new wooden shelter built in memory of Mary Bushell a dedicated, committed, and exemplary volunteer in West Yorkshire Scouts for many years who passed away in July 2019.
West Yorkshire Scouts and other charities were beneficiaries of her estate and this legacy was used to purchase a ‘Bushell Shelter’ at ten Scout campsites in West Yorkshire, including Curly Hill. Shelter was erected in her memory by the Curly Hill Volunteer wardens.
The County Commissioner took the opportunity to present Jeremy Ince Chair, Curly Hill Camp Site & Centre and Wharfedale District Scouts with a special award, The Bar To Award of Merit, representing further outstanding service while holding an adult appointment.
Jeremy has raised almost £100,000 for Curly Hill Campsite over the last ten years, making the site into a very high-quality camp site and centre used throughout the year by many organisations and charities from far and wide.
Ian Womersley said: “It was Great to visit Curly Hill campsite to meet the campsite team. Following a reflection for HM Queen Elizabeth II I had the pleasure of presenting Jeremy Ince with the Bar to the Award for Merit and DC Tim Haskins with his Wood badge. What a superb location and great team.”
David Shaw MBE, awards board Chair outlined that Jeremy has held various roles in Scouting since 1993, being district treasurer until 2008 and then district camp warden & active support team manager since 2010.
David said: “Through his work in more recent years as Chair of Curly Hill Campsite he has transformed the site into a thriving very profitable, extremely well-regarded facility for Scouting & guiding plus the local Community. His leads the excellent maintenance Camp site & Wardens Team.
“Jeremy has raised many thousands for the Curly Hill Campsite and helped others with grant applications. Through his area bank manager job his specific talents for excellent financial & project management have really been so valuable to The District to produce continued development of a high Standard.”
During recent years Curly Hill Camp Site through Jeremy’s management of Site, Wardens & Service Team has welcome a record number of visiting groups – over 3000 adults and young people have used the site generating a total of £29k in income during 2019/20 towards maintenance, improvements and district funds.
As well as hosting Scout and Guide groups the site has seen continued increase in use by local schools as a stopover on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. The site was also used by 21 District groups for outdoor activities during this period.
Through the generous support of various local charitable trusts and foundations Jeremy has lead the renovation of the camp fire circle including new oak seating and improved drainage. Special thanks to Sovereign Heath Care Community Programme, RE Chadwick Charitable Trust and Sir George Martin Trust.
Jeremy obtained planning permission for a new toilet and shower block and through the generous support of various charitable trusts, donations and using the camp sites own charitable reserves was able to manage and complete an ambitious project costing £50,000 which includes an adjacent washing up area. These facilities were built with the generous support of the following: Ilkley Round Table, Ilkley Rotary Club, Ilkley Town Council, Garfield Western, Spooner Trust Rank Foundation, W W Spooner Charitable Trust, Tesco Bags of Help, Bernard Sunley Foundation, Foyle Foundation and Awards for All.
David added: “None of this would have been possible without Jeremy’s fantastic leadership and fundraising ability plus his management of a great team of volunteer wardens that have worked tirelessly to help ensure the facilities are kept in good order and to welcome our visitors upon their arrival.”