Marie Tidball MP met with the Minister of State for Social Care and Mental Health, Alison McGovern MP, to discuss Scout Dike Activity Centre, as part of her campaign to protect the site and restore opportunities for young people.
The Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge met the Minister on Wednesday 4 November to discuss Scout Dike’s potential for inclusive outdoor learning and community-based support for children and young people’s wellbeing.
Marie raised proposals for the centre to provide opportunities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities, alongside practical skills, outdoor activities and residential provision.
The local MP raised the value of the activities at the centre to contribute to the Government’s developing Mental Health Strategy and its emphasis on prevention and support within communities.
The meeting comes as Barnsley Council moves ahead with selling the site. Marie is calling on the Council to give community-led proposals a fair opportunity first, including a long-term lease that would keep Scout Dike in public ownership.
Following the meeting, Marie Tidball, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said:
"Scout Dike has given generations of children and young people the chance to discover the outdoors, develop their confidence and learn skills that stay with them for life. I want young people growing up in Penistone and across South Yorkshire today to have those opportunities too.
"I’m continuing to call on Barnsley Council to reconsider its refusal to recognise Scout Dike as an Asset of Community Value and work constructively with local people on a community-led future. Before this publicly owned site is sold, the Council should give the community a fair opportunity to demonstrate how it could be brought back into use, including exploring a long-term lease that could retain public ownership while restoring opportunities for young people.
"I was really pleased to meet the Minister and discuss how Scout Dike could help provide more inclusive opportunities for children with SEND, as well as supporting young people’s wellbeing. There’s real potential here, and I want the Council, local health services and community representatives to work together to explore what could be delivered.
"There’s still considerable work to do on the proposals, and no funding has been secured at this stage. That’s why bringing the right people together now is so important, so that we can establish what’s possible and what would be needed to make it happen.
"I’ll continue using my voice in Parliament and working with Ministers to press the case for Scout Dike. Our community deserves a fair opportunity to show how this treasured local asset could once again serve young people for generations to come."
Constituents can support Marie’s campaign at www.marietidball.com/campaigns/SaveScoutDike.
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