Scouts from Swindon celebrating after being awarded a grant from the National Lottery.

The Park North group – 19th Swindon Scouts – found out this week they will receive £9,000 from the National Lottery Awards for All from the Community Fund.

This will be used to purchase new equipment for the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts and allow them to carry on with their events and activities for the next few years.

Nas Orchard, Cub section leader who made the application to the lottery, said: “I was ecstatic when I heard.

“We’re in one of the most deprived areas in Swindon and this will help the community and all our children in the Parks and Walcot area.”

Based at Goddard Park Primary School, the Scouts will use the money to replace worn-out tents and help with the costs of activities such as the winter and summer camps hosted by the group.

Nas continued: “The money will really help us to plan ahead for the next three years and do events with confidence now.

“We exist in Swindon to be there for children and to help the community. Many people in the community have also helped us and we just want to give back now.”

The 19th Swindon Scouts are divided into three groups of 25 Beavers aged six to eight, 30 Cubs aged eight to10-and-a-half and 25 Scouts aged up to 14.

The organisation teaches a range of outdoor skills and adventurous actives including camping, abseiling, climbing, archery, kayaking, as well as first aid and cooking.

“For our summer camp we like to go somewhere, pitch the tents in a field and then take part in various actives,” said Nas.

“We normally have to go somewhere nearby, as parents have to be able to take the children. But now we have this money we could, for example, take a minibus or whatever.”

He added: “Because of the kind of socially-deprived area we are in, we make it equal to everyone from the community to be able to take part.

“Now instead of going somewhere within a 10-mile radius of camp we can go to somewhere within a 30-mile radius, to a new and exciting place we have never been to before.

“I’m still planning our winter trip for next year and we could even go off to Scotland,” said Nas.

The leader said the group will continue their fundraising activities and still apply for additional financial assistance to cover leadership training in topics such as mental health.

“Scouting offers so much to youngsters, it’s just a fantastic organisation,” said Nas.

“The experiences expand children’s minds and they get to meet other children from different schools, so we give them a different environment for them to experience. We teach them a whole shebang of skills and hopefully they will help them when their growing up and throughout their lives.”