A MAJOR grant from Alcester Town Council to the Greig Centre could lead to a flurry of applications from other groups in the town.

First in the queue is likely to be the committee seeking to build a new Guide and Scout headquarters. The group has already declared its intention to ask the council for funding.

The committee has been turned down for a £195,000 lottery grant and despite solid fundraising over the past few years, is still a long way off its £200,000 target.

Members have decided, however, to begin building the basic shell and apply for a £50,000 loan from the Scouts Association.

Meanwhile, 300 members of the combined organisations are meeting in a variety of venues around the town after the Guides lost their hut when the lease expired and the Scouts lost theirs to arsonists.

At Tuesday's meeting, chairman of the joint committee, Jeremy Howell, said they recognised the importance of the Greig Centre and welcomed the fact the venue has already had major financial support from the lottery and Stratford District Council.

"However, we would like to point out that the Greig Hall and the current proposals for its improvement, by no means meets all of the social needs of the town.

"The Guides and Scouts have had to look elsewhere for their long-term provision and are still in the process of seeking funds towards their proposed new headquarters.

"Despite being refused a lottery grant, they hope to make a start on the new premises later in the year. However, the project is still in need of substantial funding and the committee is also seeking financial support from both the town and district councils."