BOYS and girls involved in the scouting movement in two mid Suffolk villages have celebrated finally moving into a new home.

BOYS and girls involved in the scouting movement in two mid Suffolk villages have celebrated finally moving into a new home.

After three years of waiting, members of the Scouts, Cubs, Beavers, Rainbows and Brownies in Claydon and Barham can now take part in meetings and activities at their own headquarters instead of travelling to nearby Great Blakenham as they had been doing.

First Claydon Scout Group secretary Jan Firman said she hoped the move into the new HQ - formerly a Red Cross hut which cost �11,000 to renovate - would help attract new youngsters.

She said: “Our old HQ was built in the 1960s as a chicken shed and over the years we had break-ins, vandal attacks and thefts of camping equipment. Then there was an arson attack that revealed that the building was full of asbestos. “We had no option but to move out of there.”

She said that members had left because of the condition in the old building but thanks to district councillor Martin Redbond the new premises was found.

The groups collected the �11,000 needed to transform the hut through a series of fundraising events while there were also several large donations to the cause.

Now they are into their new home, they need new leaders and anyone interested in volunteering can email Mrs Firman at janfirman@aol.com.