
To: "...help grow and develop the community and leisure offer"
Southampton City Council has approved the sale of Woodmill Outdoor Activity Centre’s (Woodmill) Stoneham site to Southampton City Scouts, alongside a lease agreement with Above Board Limited for the Mill Building
Woodmill is an outdoor multi-activity centre located on the River Itchen and offers a variety of activities for adults, young people and families, including water sports, and children’s school holiday activities.
The decision for local charity Southampton City Scouts (the Scouts) to take over the centre will help grow and develop the community and leisure offer for the city while ensuring ongoing sustainable management.
Southampton City Scouts will be the lead operator and are passionate about the Woodmill site and the different activities and benefits the site brings to the city. Their ambition is to transform the centre into Southampton’s first youth campsite, only non-profit activity centre, and a UK leading provider of youth water activities.
The Scouts believe that by unlocking the facility as a non-profit site, it has a leading part to play in reducing health and wellbeing inequalities across the city by opening outdoor adventure to every community. They plan to do this in collaboration with a wide range of local charities to maximise the impact of the facility for the wider community.
The freehold of the activity centre will be split between Southampton City Scouts and Southern Water. The Scouts will take ownership of the main activity area, the pond, Stoneham Lodge, and activity equipment. This area will serve as the hub for Woodmill’s programme and community engagement.
Southern Water will own and care for the areas central to their environmental mission, including the riverbanks, sluices, Salmon Pool, and wetlands. Their work will focus on conservation, habitat restoration, and the transformation of the wetlands into a thriving nature reserve.
By working with environmental charities and regional partners on floodplain and river restoration projects, wet woodland projects, pond creation, hedgerow planting and education projects, Southern Water will protect and enhance these precious habitats and allow nature to thrive alongside our communities.
Woodmill concept. Image credit: Southampton City Scouts)
Councillor Kataria, Cabinet Member for Leisure and People, said: “This is a positive outcome for Woodmill and the wider community. The Scouts successful bid, in partnership with Southern Water, will ensure the leisure site will remain open, active, and accessible for generations to come. This supports our Leisure Strategy and commitment to promoting healthy, active lifestyles.
“Southern Water are committed to protecting and improving the environment and health of the community and supporting the local community to lead Woodmill to a new future. They plan to make long-term investments to improve the health of the chalk streams of the River Test and Itchen, whilst improving the riverbanks and making the channels more natural in shape and function”.
Councillor Simon Letts, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, said: “Southampton City Scouts will invest significantly in the site, and with their partner organisations, they are well-placed to secure major grants to deliver much needed capital investment in this unique activity centre.
“Southern Water are also proposing investing significant amounts of money in improving the habitats and river environment along this important stretch of the Itchen.”
Joshua Smith, Lead Volunteer for Southampton City Scouts said: “We’re really excited to be leading a community-led future for Woodmill, unlocking new opportunities for Scouts and non-Scouts from across the city. At our vision's heart is bringing communities together and ensuring that every young person in our city can access affordable, inclusive, and meaningful adventure. We are proud to be supported by over twenty local charities, businesses, and community groups, including vital environmental partners, such as the Wessex Rivers Trust, and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
“Scouting has been enriching the lives of young people in Southampton for over 100 years and we are delighted that Woodmill will now be a part of our next chapter. We will continue to use the centre to help young people develop skills for life and meaningful adventure for the entire community.”