UNIFORMED YOUTH GROUPS: Scouts to sell off 14 camp sites to build centres of excellence

The new centres are likely to be situated in Great Tower in Cumbria, Downe in Kent, Gilwell in east London, and Youlbury in Oxfordshire. Barney Poulton, programme and development adviser at the Scout Association, said: "They will try to compete against external providers. Ordinary camp sites are being under-used."

In a statement, the Scout Association said: "There can be few, if any, Scout groups for whom access to a local camp site to undertake basic camping is a major problem. Basic camping skills lie at the heart of the movement's activity programme. The centres of excellence will be developed to offer day and residential opportunities to youth groups outside Scouting, as well as schools."

However, according to Scout leader Tony Ransley, of the 2nd Rayners Lane troop in west London, disadvantaged young people will be hit. "If you take out the Scout camps, you will affect all the Scouts in the Southeast. It is all right for the middle classes, but Scouts in deprived communities can't afford to travel long distances to other camp sites," he said.

A letter from the Scout Association was sent out last week to county commissioners outlining their options. The recommendations include buying the camp sites themselves, handing them back to the Scout Association, or leasing them from headquarters at commercial rates. A deadline of October has been set.

Camp sites such as Phasels Wood, in Hertfordshire, which plans to lease the site at a commercial rate, will need to raise around 50,000 before the deadline.