Kirikiriroa Scout Group in need of a new home – again

The youth of Kirikiriroa Scout Group are looking for a new home. Photo / Supplied

Kirikiriroa Scout Group is looking for a new home in the western suburbs of Hamilton. Specifically, land on to which it can move a Scout hall.

The group's first-year lease of the Salvation Army hall at 180 Grandview Rd, Hamilton, expires on June 30. It is the second time in a year, the Scout Group is having to move out of its hall because of plans for removal by the landlord.

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The Salvation Army has submitted plans to Hamilton City Council to redevelop the site, replacing the hall with houses, and informed the group it would like to start work on the project in the second half of the year.

The Scout group has served the western suburbs of Kirikiriroa Hamilton since 1972, starting out as St Columba's Scout Group meeting in St Columba's Parish Hall in Rifle Range Rd.

St Columba's Parish gave the group notice to vacate its hall in early 2020, after revealing its plan to remove the hall. The group moved to Grandview Rd in July, 2020, and renamed to Kirirkiriroa in August to reflect the move.

Since then the group has seen substantial growth, particularly in the Cub Pack and Scout Troop, with 50 youth members, 18 Kaiarahi (leaders) and a good number of adult helpers.

Kirikiriroa Scout Group is also the Waikato Zone's lead Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award Unit.

Kirikiriroa Group Leader for the Kea Club and Cub Pack, Scott Aitken, said the search for a new home was an opportunity for the group to own its own hall.

"Our group has youth meetings on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night, and we're already in discussions with other community groups who would like to rent a hall from us."

Kirikiriroa Group Leader for the Scout Troop and Venturer Unit Chris Gardner said the group had surveyed the options a year ago before moving to Grandview Rd.

"We spent months looking at every community hall in the western suburbs of the city, and none were able to accommodate a busy group like ours for three nights of the week."

Group chairman Andrew Fredrickson said the group had been given several options in terms of a hall, but just needed some land on to which to move it.

"Our preference is one of the parks in the western suburbs, and have submitted that proposal to the council, and we understand we will have to wait three months for an answer."

If you have land suitable for a Scout hall email kirikiriroa@group.scouts.nz.