A Brief History

58th Bristol (1st Eastville) Scout Resource Centre, Gadshill Road, Eastville

The groups first Scout Master & founder was Gilbert Williams.

After the Second World War, Scouting was proving popular so he started the group with meetings at Eastville Girls School Hall.

From the offset in March 1949, he had plenty of boys willing to join and as the number grew the group moved to Coombs Hill School. They met there until early 1954 when the group was offered a disused army hut in Gadshill Road which soon became known as “The Scout Hut”. It was a prefabricated wooden building which was to become their home. As the numbers grew over the next few years it wasn’t long before the hut was bursting at the seems with 50 to 60 members in the Cub & Scout sections. A band of willing parent helpers started to draw up plans to replace the old Scout hut.

In the seventies a massive fund raising campaign was started and with the help of the parents committee (many of whom were in qualified trades) the rebuilding began. During this period the group met in various places including May Park School and Eastville Park Methodist Church.

With a lot of keen help from parents and friends of the group work was carried out on evenings and weekends when weather permitted. The new Scout HQ took shape and it was finally finished and opened in 1983. After this the group enjoyed further growth including the start of group membership for girls in 1991. 

Today the group consists of Beaver, Cub & Scout sections with members ranging from 6 to 14 while being supported by a hard working parents committee and a strong leadership team headed by Group Scout Leader Simon Peck.

With the 58th Bristol Scout Group thriving its future looks secure for many years to come.