HUNDREDS of scouts took part in an annual fun day last weekend.

Around 500 children and teenagers joined in the pirate-themed celebration at the Michael Mallinson Scout Centre in a boathouse on The Charter Road, Highams Park on Saturday and Sunday (May 19 and 20).

The kids played games and rowed boats while parents helped raise £90 for the Michael Mallinson Scout Group to build a new boathouse further down nearby Highams Park Lake.

The scout group has been ordered to vacate the boathouse it currently occupies on the site by the City of London Corporation because the dam on which it sits has grown too weak to support it.

Scout explorer leader Susan Payne said: "It was a brilliant day, everybody had a lot of fun and it was great to see such a big turnout.

"We also got our fundraising going which is great. It will be sad to leave our boathouse but hopefully we will getthe money together for a new one soon because lots of groups rely on it. to teach their members canoeing."

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