Popular Scouts site at risk as jobs to go

Jobs are feared to be at risk as the Scouts consider the future of their popular activity centre and campsite in Edinburgh.

An official review is underway into the operation of the 24-acre site at the foot of the Pentlands in Bonaly where generations of young people have been to stay in tents and enjoy the outdoors.

A statement from the Scouts’ South East Scotland region said a team was considering the options available to keep Bonaly operational in the short term, but also trying to produce a longer-term plan.

The statement added: “As it will impact on the staff and volunteers at Bonaly, we are now entering a period of consultation with them. Until this is completed, we are unable to share the details of the plan, but hope to be able to do so next month.

It is understood the plan may include a bigger role for volunteers in running the centre to keep it open.

In June Scouts chief executive Katie Docherty said the organisation was trying to retain its outdoor centres, but expected Covid would mean it had to make nearly half the staff at their headquarters and outdoor centres redundant. Yesterday she said: “We are six months in with no income and no knowledge of when we can reopen.”