A SCOUT leader from Basingstoke is looking for help to raise funds to go to Uganda to volunteer and help out communities in the country.

Mary Date, a Cub Scout assistant leader with 1st Basingstoke, has been selected as one of the seven leaders in a contingent of 25 UK Explorer Scouts who will be travelling to the east African country in 2019.

Mary said: “During this trip we will undertake a variety of charitable projects and joint activities with the local Scouts before we have the holiday of a lifetime.

"We will have the chance to go on a quad bike safari or white water raft down the Nile and go on safari in the Maasai Mara [in] Kenya.”

Hampshire Scouts has a history of working with Scouts groups of the Masindi District of Uganda, starting in 2000 with Mary having also visited in 2015.

The group helps to fundraise for the Ugandan Scouts to protect the natural water springs in the area to reduce the risk of illness and disease spreading.

The area is rural and one of these springs can supply around 300-500 people with a water source.

They also send a contingent of Explorer Scouts every few years to help undertake redevelopment and decoration of a local school.

The contingent also brings gifts for the local schools and hospital, for example chalk, footballs, blankets for new born babies, and mosquito nets. They will also be running activities for the Scouts while the host Scout group will be running some of its own.

Mary said: “We are trying to raise the funds needed for the expedition and the project work; to protect at least two natural water springs, re-develop a school and provide gift items to the school and hospital.

"We are trying to raise in excess of £80,000 for the expedition fees and £5,000 to enable us to carry out our charitable project work when we travel to Uganda in 2019.”

Depending on the donation, it is possible for company logos tobe put on project work t-shirts or have a plaque mounted on a funded water well.

For more information or to donate, visit mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/marydate.