Members of the 3rd Melton Scout Group face missing out on the national Jamboree next year after aluminium cans the group had collected to raise money were stolen.
Group leader Trevor King (pictured) said the Scouts had spent the past three months collecting cans to recycle as part of its major fundraising efforts. But late last month about 1000 kilograms of cans, and the storage cage they were kept in outside Woodgrove Shopping Centre, were stolen.
Mr King said the cans would have fetched about $1000 through scrap metal merchants.
“We filled the cage up on Saturday [April 21] and as far as we know it was still there on the Monday afternoon,” he said.
“When we went out there on Tuesday, I thought that the merchants had been by to collect the full cage and neglected to replace it with a new empty cage.
“We later realised that the cans had been stolen.”
Mr King said the theft would leave the Scout group’s budget short for next year’s Jamboree in South Australia.
“It helps out the kids that are going. It cost $1600 per child and many families are unable to pay that amount,” he said.
“If we can’t get enough money in the meantime … it might mean that some of them don’t get to go.
“I don’t think we’ll ever see them [the cans] again but if anyone has any information we urge them to contact Melton police.”
The 3rd Melton Scout Group meets at the Scout hall on the corner of Smith and Henry streets. Joeys meet on Tuesdays at 5.30pm, Cubs on Tuesdays from 7pm and Scouts, Thursdays at 6.30pm.
