Our History

The group was founded on November 6th 1933 at St James Parish Hall, Moss Side. The group scout leader was Robert Hill and there were 18 cubs and 20 scouts. The group continued to thrive and we had 2 cub packs a strong scout troop and a senior scout (As they were then called).

However, we always wanted our own headquarters and in 1964 we built and moved into cabin I, In Platt street Moss Side. This was a wooden sectional building. We always knew it was for a temporary purpose as re further generation of Moss Side was planned.

The group continued to thrive with a strong parental committee who raised funds to keep the building going and subsidise events for the scouts.

In 1971 demolition began in Moss Side and our building had to be taken down. As it was sectional, we transported it to Rushton Spencer and donated it to Barnswood scout camp where we continued to have lots of happy times in it.

We then moved back to St James parish hall for a temporary period until that was demolished and in 1972 to a scout centre in Hulme.

We then had 4 years of constant fundraising and months of very hard work until we were allocated a new plot in Moss Side.

Cabin II was opened 24th June 1976. It was a fantastic building and we continued to thrive, and have lots of happy times. Unfortunately, the building needed lots of upkeep so constant fundraising had to continue. Our Parents committee was ageing and we weren’t getting any new members and eventually the building needed a lot of money spending on it which we didn’t have. Finally, the lease ran out and we had to give in.

In March 2004 we came to Manchester Road Methodist in Chorlton. We rented a small room in the church hall which suited our executive, as years of fundraising and building upkeep had taken its toll. Following the move, we started a fresh with 8 cubs in a small rented room with an adjacent cupboard for our equipment and an overflow of our camping equipment in the cellar. In the Chorlton area we continued growing, with an increase in the number of girls within the section. By 2010 we had increased to have around 70 children in Beavers, cubs and scouts a strong leadership team and a waiting lists.

With the Edge Theatre moving into the Methodist Hall in 2011, we decided to move again and looked at further rented accommodation. Our old rented small room has now become the “Dressing Room Café”. Following an extensive search in the area, we came across St Margaret’s Centre on Brantingham Road in Whalley Range.

In October 2017 Sandra Lancashire OBE stood down as GSL and with others members of the exec decided to retire from scouting following years of hard work in the community.

We have been at Brantingham road for a number of years. St Margaret Centre provides us with space both inside and outside to provide scouting to around 70 scouts.