It took 18 months of hard work for the Scout group to meet the daunting challenge of raising enough money to secure the property, and there were inevitable setbacks along the way. But it seemed giving up was never an option. Determined Beavers, Cubs and Scouts threw themselves into every conceivable fundraising effort, while Scout leaders made numerous applications for grant support.
Trust Officer Sue Cole at the United Reformed Church (URC) Synod of Wales, which had the task of disposing of the Christchurch property, said: “The Scouts raised a huge amount of funding themselves and in the community to purchase the site, and we congratulate them on their imaginative and tireless efforts. Throughout the 18 months, URC Trustees were supportive and sympathetic to the Scouts, while former church members continued to take care of the premises and maintain insurance cover. They saw this as an opportunity to create a lasting legacy for the URC in the local community.”
She continued: “The congregation at Christchurch served the people of Llandaff faithfully and selflessly for 140 years. It is good to know that the many young people and families involved in the Scouts’ activities will continue to benefit from a home secured at our former church premises.”
Tim Lawley of Cooke & Arkwright, the commercial property agents that managed the sale, said: “This property generated a great deal of interest when it was brought to the market last year, with a number of strong offers received, including that from the Scouts, which reflects the wider demand for unique sites such as this for alternative uses or redevelopment.
“The Scout Group has worked tirelessly to raise the funding for this purchase, and I am sure that both they and the wider community will reap the benefits of them remaining at the property.” Cooke & Arkwright has also sold United Reformed Church in Pontypridd Road, Porth for the same client.
The 2nd Llandaff Scout Group was founded in 1908. Highly active and engaged in the wider community, its members currently include some 120 children and young people from Llandaff North, Gabalfa and Whitchurch.