GOOSTREY Scouts are celebrating reaching the halfway mark in fundraising for the new Scout Hut and Youth Centre in the village, having raised more than £100,000 of the £200,000 estimated building cost.

Group Scout Leader David Giles said: “I am delighted to announce that the latest generous donation of £300 from the Holmes Chapel Rotary Club following the Christmas Sleigh Run has brought the fundraising total over the £100,000 mark.

“This is a key milestone in our aim to raise £200,000 in fundraising and grants, and I wish to thank the Rotary Team for their generosity and for allowing our Scout Group to participate in the Sleigh Run.

“I’m overwhelmed by the scale of donations which continue to be made by individuals, businesses and groups of all sizes.

“This project has caught the imagination of people in Goostrey and beyond, and the Scouts are privileged that the whole community has got behind the project.”

Cath McCubbin, vice-chairman of Goostrey Parish Council said: “The council is fully committed to supporting the new youth facility in the village, as we showed by gifting land for the new building.

“The new Scout Hut and Youth Centre will prove a very effective community resource for a range of youth organisations, and will also relieve pressure on the village hall, which cannot meet all the demand by village organisations.”

David added: “I am thrilled we have reached the important milestone of half of our fundraising target, and hope this will be matched by generous grants from other bodies.”

Peter Godfrey, chairman of Goostrey Parish Council, said “The parish council has been very impressed by the energetic fundraising undertaken by the Scouts and the way the rest of the community has supported them.

“This is a major milestone on the road to the delivery of a new facility for all the young people of Goostrey.”

Donations can be made to the Scout Hut and Youth Centre at mydonate.bt.com/charities/1stgoostreyscoutgroup

The next fundraising events include a family event in Goostrey on April 22 to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday and a sponsored 55- mile bike ride on May 14.