Ulverston scouts get funding boost from pipeline scheme

A group of Ulverston scouts got up close and personal to a huge engineering project in the town.

The cubs section of 2nd Ulverston Scouts were treated to a guided walk along the route of a new pipeline which is being built to help clean up the beck behind their hut in Priory Road.

The visit, arranged by water firm United Utilities and its contract partner C2V+, was topped off with a joint £500 donation which will go towards the group’s running costs.

United Utilities’ new pipeline is part of a project to help improve the quality of water in Dragley Beck, the Leven Estuary and the shellfish waters of Morecambe Bay. It will connect the town’s sewers to a huge new storm water storage tank, which will hold up to 3,000 cubic metres of dirty rain water during intense storms.

United Utilities’ assistant project co-ordinator Luke Johnston said one of the pipeline connection points was in land behind the scout hut so workers wanted to explain what was happening.  “Showing them what’s involved in such a big project is a good way of warning them of the dangers of construction sites and I think they got the message. They were interested to see what was going on and we all enjoyed it,” he said.

Group scout leader Gavin Knott said the youngsters, all aged eight to ten years old, thoroughly enjoyed the visit, despite the rain. “They watched a video, then walked the pipeline and looked at the tank. They asked some really interesting questions and had some fun. It was a first class visit,” he said.

The donation is one of three to community organisations in the town to thank local people for their patience during the project. It is due to be finished next year.