FUNDERS are being urged to support a £600,000 community- led project for a village and Scout hall.

The Hillside Activities Park is keen to develop 28 acres of land it bought for £220,000, at Borrowby, near Thirsk.

The group has since spent a further £240,000 in developing the site, fitting utilities and creating sports pitches.

The land also became the permanent home of Borrowby Show this year.

Now the Hillside Scout Group is keen to move to the site from its home at nearby Knayton Village Hall.

Plans have been drawn up for a £600,000 community sports and scout building, housing an indoor sports hall for the scouts to use.

The design is for an 18-metre by ten-metre indoor sports hall plus two meeting rooms.

It is hoped to attract local sports clubs, such as martial arts and badminton, and voluntary clubs.

David Johnson, Scouts' treasurer, said: "It will be a community hall for lots of groups.

"It seemed a good idea as the scouts have been looking for a new home for years and there are no facilities for things like badminton here.

"We have done a lot of work to see what support there is in the community and it's been pretty strong.

"We are still working on the proposals but the scheme will be around the £600,000 mark.

"The scout group has some funds to put towards the building and we are looking for further funds."

Plans have been approved by Hambleton District Council and the only hold-up is the lack of money for the project. Mike Keast, the scout group's chairman, said: "We are trying to build a scout hut that not only benefits us, but also the local community.

"It will be heavily used by the community and if sports or voluntary groups want to use it, we are more than happy to talk to them."

It is proposed to ask the groups planning to use the new facility for financial help to pay for its building.

Visit www.hillsidescouts. users.btopenworld.com to view the plans or to contact the scout group