BE Prepared is the motto of the Scouting movement.

But the custodians of Hampshire’s Scouting Heritage never expected such an avalanche of memorabilia to come knocking at its door.

A series of Attic Attacks has uncovered Scouting treasures which had been gathering cobwebs and were in danger of being lost to future generations.

Ron Dear, project manager for Hampshire Scout Heritage, said the last Attic Attack – a county wide appeal for Scouting artefacts – was in 2013.

Daily Echo:

Ron, pictured above with a Rover Scout Hike Trophy dating back to 1947, said: “We had to stop last year because we just did not know where to put it all. We are snowed under.”

Not a week goes by without Ron getting a telephone call or a knock on the door from someone who has made a Scouting find.

He said: “I had a call from someone who had a 40-year-old Scout uniform. They asked if it was any good or they were going to throw it away.”

But Ron snapped it up for the heritage collection. Another impressive find was a Rover Scout Hike Trial Trophy, dated from 1947 to 1966, which had been lying in a cupboard.

There was also a beautifully illustrated book, which had been presented to a retiring county commissioner and signed by every Scout in the county.

Daily Echo:

Although the heritage team is grateful for all donations it is fast running out of storage space.

Two old railway containers are crammed with heritage material and other memorabilia is housed at locations across the county.

Now the hunt is being stepped up to find a building where the Scouting treasure trove can be put on display under one roof in a permanent home, open to all the community.

Ron says: “Mid Hampshire would be ideal but we are open to all suggestions.”

As well as preserving its proud past The Hampshire Scout Heritage Centre would have a multi use covering all aspects of the movement’s work.

It would also be a base for an oral history project recording memories from former Scouts on the past and development of Scouting in Hampshire.

Hampshire is the largest Scouting county in the country, dating back to when the movement was created more than 100 years ago.

The 1st Lymington appears to be the first Scout Troop in Hampshire in 1908. The 1st Eastleigh, 7th Bassett and 14th Highfield were formed in 1909. And the 6th Itchen South (Hamble) Sea Scout Group, founded in 1909, was the UK’s first Sea Scout group.

Hampshire has a huge reservoir of heritage material, which the dedicated heritage team has been busy collating.

More than 3,000 books, manuscripts and records have been catalogued.

A fascinating collection of Hampshire Scout badges have been brought together in 50 volumes, along with a spectacular array of flags and standards.

  • Anyone who can help the research team in their search for a building should contact 0845 604 6451.