National Lottery millionaires welcome Sea Scouts to their private woodland
A couple who won a £7.9 million Lotto jackpot have bought a 15.5-acre woodland which they now share with local Sea Scouts to provide them with a space for outdoor adventures.
Ted Newton, 84, and his 80-year-old wife Marilyn originally bought the woodland in east Kent to walk their dog, Poppy, but have since opened it up to the local community, including a school and creche as well as the scouting group from one of the most deprived parts of the county.
The couple are now set to host their 31st event for the Sea Scouts on their land.
Mrs Newton said: 'We moved here so we had somewhere for our grandchildren to run about and explore. Little did we know when we bought Park Wood that not only would it be our grandchildren running about, we'd also play host to many hundreds of young people from the locality and, importantly, from Dartford Cambria Sea Scouts.
'Our son leads the Sea Scout group, which is based in an area of Dartford with high levels of deprivation.
'With money tight for so many families it can often be hard for the Sea Scouts to fund camping trips away, meaning the children sometimes miss out on gaining essential skills, unique team-building opportunities and, importantly, a chance to engage with nature.
'When Steve asked if the Sea Scouts could come and hold a one-off camp, we were only too happy to say yes, and now, almost 10 years on, we're delighted to regularly host all sorts of different scout camps and are readying ourselves for the 2025 schedule.'
Steve Newton said: 'It never fails to amaze me when some of the young children, who maybe haven't been in this sort of natural environment before, tentatively start to explore. They may start nervously but quickly grow in confidence and are so much more relaxed.
'Being able to return time after time and to take part in lots of different activities, from Duke of Edinburgh hikes to visiting the Battle of Britain Memorial, is a fantastic opportunity.
'Older teenagers from our group regularly camp in the woods, gaining essential time in the great outdoors, and developing skills, from learning to build a fire and cook over the coals to clearing a campground of undergrowth and using axes or saws effectively.
'Everything we do here is to help these young people have fun, without the aid of a screen or technology, encouraging them to work together as a team and to engage with the natural world.'
Mrs Newton added: 'It's not everyone's first thought, to buy a 15.5-acre wood – complete with its own unique postcode – but of everything we have been able to enjoy since that incredible win, creating this wooded wonderland must be our greatest joy.
'When the scouts are here you can hear the laughter ringing through the trees – it seems to get louder over the course of the camp as they gain in confidence.
'We also invite the local school down, the village creche visit, and people walk their dogs here. We love nothing more than seeing the woods come alive.'
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