From Scout to Community Champion: Alex Helps Transform Staynor Hall Community Centre
A few months ago, Alex found himself getting involved with the Staynor Hall Community Centre Committee through some family friends who are Trustees. What began as a casual connection quickly turned into something much more meaningful. Since then, Alex has devoted countless hours to helping improve the centre, and his efforts have already made a real difference.
One of the first projects he got stuck into was building proper storage areas for other groups that use the centre. This included helping the Spirit of Christmas team, who run a monthly free activity session for children with additional needs. These families had been left without a venue after changes at the Selby Leisure Centre, so creating space for them to continue their work was an important first step.
Alex didn’t stop there. He became a regular helping hand around the centre, assisting with setting up for children’s parties and community events, and often staying behind to help clean up afterwards. His willingness to pitch in wherever needed quickly made him a valued member of the team.
Then, about seven weeks ago, a committee meeting sparked an exciting new idea. The small meeting rooms at the centre were being vastly underused, and the team decided to transform the space into a welcoming, family-friendly bar with an outdoor area. Within a week, an outline plan had been drawn up. Just a week after that, work began, with Alex right at the heart of it.
Over the next month, he threw himself into the project. If it arrived in flat-pack form, Alex built it, everything from the bar furniture to the kitchen cabinets that now form the backbone of the bar area. Drawing on the DIY skills he’d developed through Scouting, he also took responsibility for cladding the walls behind the bar. When the trustee assigned to cladding the main lounge wall felt uneasy using the power tools, Alex stepped in without hesitation and got the job done himself.
From the heavy lifting involved in removing a large sliding wall to dismantling existing furniture, connecting plumbing and wiring, and assembling just about every piece of furniture in the space, there was hardly a single part of the project Alex didn’t have a hand in.
As luck would have it, the bar’s grand opening coincided with a weekend camp for the Scouts, part of their work towards earning the Expedition Challenge badge. After spending Saturday night under canvas, Alex returned home on Sunday afternoon, quickly changed, and made his way straight to the centre. That evening, he was busy selling hot dogs during the family quiz night, and was back again on Monday to support the family fun day, once again helping with food and making sure the centre stayed clean and tidy.
The result of all this hard work was a brilliant opening weekend that brought families together and breathed new life into the centre. As detailed in the press release, the turnout and the impact on the local community far exceeded expectations. And at the heart of it all was a young man who gave his time, energy and enthusiasm to help bring a shared vision to life.