91Èȱ¬

A village scout group in Shropshire has put together an archive of papers and 200 photographs to mark its 80th anniversary.

The 1st Albrighton Scout Group secured a £5,000 National Lottery grant to create the archive, partly put together with items offered up by former cubs and scouts.

The group started life in 1939 in the neighbouring village of Cosford, which is still home to a large RAF base, before moving into Albrighton in the early 1950s.

And more than 80 years later, scouting in Albrighton continues to thrive, with about 80 young people attending either beaver, cub or scout sessions each week - and a lengthy waiting list for new recruits.

"This celebration has been three years in the making thanks to Covid-19, but we're finally glad to to mark an important anniversary for our group and the village," said Richard Wild, group scout leader.

"The scouts have played such a massive role in village life, supporting community events and parades, and putting Albrighton on the international map with jamborees in Austria, Sweden and Tokyo."

The archive has gone on display at The Den - the group's headquarters on Shaw Lane.

"We've got decades, all the way through, and each folder is packed with the definitive archives of 1st Albrighton Scout Group," said group chair Jon Gill.

"You look back and the history of this place is fantastic.

"For me, who's always been involved in scouting, you look at some of the old photographs and think 'yes I can relate to that' because it's what I grew up with."

Albrighton, which is less than eight miles from Wolverhampton, is home to more than 4,000 people,

"The more I've got to know people in the village, the more I've realised what an important part in the community the scout group has played down the years," said Mr Gill.

"Everybody's got a good word to say. Most of the men in the village seem to have been involved at some point as cubs and scouts."

After the pandemic, the 1st Albrighton Scout Group continues to thrive.

"Our waiting list is bursting. We could certainly fill another full beaver colony and another cub pack," said Mr Gill.

The 80th anniversary was finally celebrated with a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) event at RAF Cosford for the youngsters, before a reception at The Den where all the archives were on display.

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