Cub camp kit stolen

Wansteadium reader Justin Woodthorpe Browne writes:

Hello, I am a local cub leader at 21st EFS based at St.Gabriels Church Hall in Aldersbrook. We keep a trailer with all our camping equipment and cooking equipment. We use it regularly and can accommodate 60 children plus leaders and we have large tents, small tents, dining tents, mess tents, tables and chairs, plus a fully operational kitchen. It has been stolen from the car park where it has been stored for the past five years. We have regular camps (three so far this year) plus Aldersbrook school used it two weeks ago.

It gives children a great experience and is often their first night away. Some children from Wanstead were going to go away to the Isle of Wight in two weeks time, but this now looks like it will not happen. For some of the children it would have been their only holiday. Please can you ask if anyone has seen this dumped anywhere, or seen camping equipment, or canvas dumped anywhere, as we believe it was stolen for the trailer, not what was inside it. It will cost over £10k to replace and it is not insured (we obviously do not have the money). Also, we are happy to accept any old camping equipment, not wanted, or donations. Thank you.

 

12 thoughts on “Cub camp kit stolen”

  2. Is it possible to borrow equipment from another scout group until you can find replacement items? Also, I wonder if local businesses might assist. I know that there is an “Army and Navy” store in Manor Park. Perhaps you could request that they help with some items? In terms of future insurance, could the church cover the items through their contents insurance at all?
    It’s incredible that people can stoop so low as to steal from a church car park!

    1. I believe we will now borrow some equipment from some other groups now for Isle of Wight trip.
      We couldn’t insure it because it was not in locked compound, although it did have a wheel lock on it.
      We have since heard that we are not the only scout troop to have their trailer stolen.

  4. I think I possibly saw your trailer, white, empty, with a few poles in the back, on my way home from school via wanstead station, is it the no.1 scout troop or something on the side? Wasn’t very large, but well sized. I saw it on the far side of the green, I can’t for the life of me remember the road name, but I could show you exactly where, and I know which house it was in front of. I’m sorry if it isn’t yours and to get hopes up, I check my emails regularly, good luck! Nila

    1. Thank you very much, but our trailer was just white. We were thinking of putting the scout logo on, but had not got round to it.
      I have had a drive round that area to double check. Thank you very much for the feedback.
      Justin.

  5. This is awful. I will be happy to give you some camping kit. Also, is there a place where donations can be made? Aldersbrook has recently become a thieves paradise. You cannot leave anything outside your house for 5 minutes without someone coming to ‘steal’ it. We have stopped countless ‘collectors’ coming to take bits that we have just left outside for a few minutes. But a trailer is something different. What scumbags.

  6. We live opposite, unfortunately didn’t see anything, but we do have some camping stuff we would like to donate, how shall we get it to you.

  7. Some of the best days of my young life were at cub camps or playing cub football on Wanstead Flats. I would be more than happy to make a donation from Pettys. Also happy to help publicise the fund raising to raise the money to replace the equipment. John.

  9. I have shared this on my Facebook and hope that someone can shed light on the missing trailer. I am sure we have a 4 or 6 man tent that we could donate so let me know how to get it to you.

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