A HEREFORD community group for young people has started work to transform its home.

The Scouts South Marches group say it has "exciting plans" for the future of the building, in Crozen Lane, in the Bartonsham and St James' area of the city.

Planning permission has been granted for the scheme and the group is looking for donations for help with the cost of the rebuild.

Herefordshire Council has previously granted permission for the current Scout hall, stores, sheds and shipping containers to be replaced with a new Scout hall, which includes garages and stores.

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A spokesperson said it was exciting news that work has started on the new headquarters in Hereford.

"Goodbye, old Scouts Corner as we make way for the new," they said.

While work may have begun, fundraising has not stopped and the group needs to continue to reach its target.

"We are all working really hard to raise the funds," they said, adding that every donation via its JustGiving page helps.

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The group's HQ is affectionately known as Scouts’ Corner, and has been the home of scouting in Hereford since 1949.

It has a history which predates the Scout movement itself.

Originally the Countess of Huntingdon’s chapel, the building was moved from Berrington Street to its current site in 1889 along with its congregation.

It continued to serve as a chapel until the outbreak of World War Two when, in 1940, it was taken over by the Home Guard.

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The building is now used regularly by 1st Hereford Scouts as well as a ballet group, spiritualists, and a daytime nursery.

Between these groups, there are about 150 people who use the hall weekly.

The group has taken ideas from their young members as to what they want from the redevelopment.

A spokesperson previously said: "We asked our scouts what they thought our new district HQ should be like and they weren’t short of ideas.

"They were keen for it have a large kitchen, some outdoor space where they could develop scouting skills and to look more modern from the outside.

"We have taken all their points into consideration with this scheme to hopefully deliver a district HQ which they can be proud of."

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The group believes that the proposed scheme will provide a modern home which is sensitive to its surroundings, will enable it to continue preparing young people with skills for life for many years to come.

The group is well on the way to raising the £814,000 needed for the cost of the rebuild and it is now asking for anyone to donate to help towards the final £200,000 needed to make the plans a reality.

Work is expected to start in early 2023 and the group is appealing for help from Hereford folk far and wide, old and young, anyone will have passed through the doors at Scouts Corner, to give it a helping hand towards its target.