Scout camp on target thanks to Red Arrows

The Daily Echo-backed Target 2007 appeal has been boosted by the announcement that it is the charity chosen to benefit from next year's visit by the world-renowned Red Arrows.

The £1 million appeal aims to turn Butcher's Coppice in Kinson into a state-of-the-art centre of excellence by 2007 - the centenary of the first experi-mental camp on Brownsea Island.

Julian Jones, managing director of Drilling Systems Ltd at Chapelgate, is the financial backer of next year's Red Arrows display and nominated the charity after reading about it in the Daily Echo.

Target 2007 will receive all the money raised at a charity auction, lunch and public collection - usually well over £10,000.

In the past nine years, Bournemouth Red Arrows Association has raised £80,000 for various good causes. Committee members hope that they can swell the total to £100,000 next year to mark a decade of fund-raising.

A whole raft of improvements have already been made to the scout camp but the biggest expense will be the creation of a new £550,000 indoor centre, which will cater for training courses, Cub Pack holidays, Beaver sleepovers, school trips and study groups.

Also planned is a £250,000 disabled-friendly indoor swimming pool.

Maurice Patterson, of the Bournemouth Red Arrows Association, said: "Mr Jones wants to help the local community and this is a project that will benefit a lot of people, not just scouts but international visitors as well. It's such a big project, it needs all the help it can get.

"As well as the financial help, hopefully we can also raise its profile with local people. We are delighted to support the scouts and will put in as much effort as we can to highlight their cause."

Talbot Massey, development co-ordinator for Bournemouth Scouts, said: "We're honoured to be the chosen charity, this is great news for us and a real boost for all our volunteers who devote so much time to the scouts."

First published: August 24