Blooms Garden Centre ditch scouts who run Santa’s Grotto
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A scout leader has accused Wyevale Garden Centres of ruining Christmas after his troop was frozen out of running a festive grotto at Blooms Garden Centre.
For the past six years 100 scouts had dressed up as elves and run the popular attraction at the garden centre between Coventry and Rugby.
Last year alone the youngsters raised £7,000 which was ploughed back into organising days out for the group and maintaining their scout hut.
But hopes of returning for a seventh year were dashed after being told that the grotto was being outsourced.
Tony Marsella, leader of the 5th Rugby (Newbold) Scouts said the garden centre had acted like the “Grinch” - the grumpy, anti-Christmas character created by Dr Seuss.
“The kids were really upset, they loved doing it,” he told the Coventry Telegraph.
“The scouts also put in a lot of time actually building the grotto each year with fully qualified builders and electricians and we were fully insured.
“So we simply can not understand why this cruel decision was made so heartlessly.”
People paid £7 to visit the grotto, of which the scouts kept £2.40. Visitors also dropped coins into a donation bucket.
Mr Marsella, 46, said the three scout groups involved had built up a fantastic reputation and that a record 2,100 children visited Santa last year.
The grandad-of-two said the scouts looking forward to donning their elves outfits again when they were informed of the decision last month.
He said: “We were told that they were subcontracting all their grottos to two companies and that it was a head office decision.
“We have had kids who have left scouts and gone on to university and asked if they can do the grotto.
“Ultimately they have got a social responsibilty which they are not ticking any boxes with."
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Mr Marsella hopes the scouts can return in the future. This year’s private grotto will cost £8 per person.
A spokesman for Blooms, which is owned by Wyevale Garden Centres, said: “We take our role as a member of the local community very seriously.
“We always host Christmas family events within the garden centre and the involvement of the local scout group is something that we and our customers appreciate and enjoy.
“This year is no different, but instead of running the grotto we have asked the scout group to get involved in different activities.
“We know how important fundraising is to them and we’re keen to make sure we support them as best we can.”
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