A new state-of-the-art accommodation lodge for Scouts is to be officially opened in Bromham next week, after a £520,000 donation from Bedfordshire Masons.
The 46-bed Lodge of Friendship has been built at the Lesley Sell Activity Centre in Bromham and will host Scouts from around the world.
It is built from eco-friendly Finnish logs and boasts underfloor heating as well as a modern kitchen.
Members of the county’s Masons have gone above and beyond – literally in one case – to raise half a million pounds.
One daring member walked on the wings of a 75-year-old biplane as it flew over the Cotswolds at 130mph to raise £10,000 towards the total.
Wing-walking Terry Thurley said: “I was initially very apprehensive taking on the challenge.
“But once I was airborne on the wing of the Boeing Stearman plane I started to relax and then became exhilarated by the experience.
“I was surprised and delighted so many Masons dug deep in their pockets to sponsor me.”
However, when asked whether he would do it again, Mr Thurley quickly replied: “I may be bonkers, but I’m not totally mad!”
Mr Thurley will be among the 65 VIP guests at the champagne opening ceremony on Thursday 26 May.
Local Masons funded the building to mark the 300-year anniversary of the Premier Grand Lodge of England, the world’s first Masonic Grand Lodge, in 1717.
The project began in 2017 and it will be officially opened by the Most Worshipful Pro-Grand Master Peter Geoffrey Lowndes, the second-highest-ranking Mason in the country after the Duke of Kent.
Senior Bedfordshire Mason Michael Hillson, whose Maulden-based building company masterminded the project, said: “It has been an incredible achievement.
“There’s no doubt this has been a world-class project – it’s a truly magnificent building and really has the ‘Wow!’ Factor.
“Hundreds of Scouts have already used it and we are proud to have been able to help make this happen.”
The amenities and accommodation lodge is built from spruce logs hewn in Finland.
“This makes it very eco-friendly,” said Mr Hillson. “The log construction means it stays warm in winter and cool in summer.”
Standing outside will be a two-metre-high, three-ton Welsh stone monolith, which has been hand-carved with the Scouts and Masons’ logos over a hand of friendship.
Mr Hillson said: “The lodge has been designed to last at least 100 years and the county’s Masons can feel rightly proud of generously making this happen.”
