MY son, David,and I had reason to visit the Youlbury Scout campsite recently to collect my father-in-law, Bertie Douglas Naylor’s, bravery award and medal dated 1906. This was for saving a young girl from drowning that had been exhibited in the Scouting Museum on site for many years.

Due to the museum’s imminent demolition to make way for futuristic scouting and guiding accommodation, we found several elderly Scouting colleagues packing, dismantling, and trying to transport their irreplaceable display materials which will be stored for one year only in another part of the site for no-one to see.

David had not visited the site for more than 25 years and I spent many years camping there as a cub leader, going back to 1970.

We are both appalled at the apparent lack of support from the Scout Association to preserve the local heritage of Scouting and to let a lifetime’s work by our older scouting friends to just be lost in history. Also for the younger generation of scouts and guides that are unable to enjoy the extensive displays and knowledge that could be gained with a visit to the museum. Whoever made the decision to close this valuable piece of scouting history should have on their conscience the sadness and extremely hard work that is expected from the scouting and guiding OAPs that are left to pick up the pieces and destroy this once thriving museum.

David and I would like to make a plea to anyone who has enjoyed scouting or guiding over the years and either themselves, anyone they know, or in fact local businesses, who could offer, suggest or support a new home for this forgotten asset of our local area to contact us. We can then pass on your comments to Peter Slatter, who was one of the founder members of the museum. This tragedy should never have happened. The history of local scouting and guiding should never be forgotten.

BARBARA AND DAVID NAYLOR, Ringwood Road, Risinghurst, Oxford