Chelmsford Scouts’ efforts to raise funds for a new community hall have been boosted by a mystery donation of £10,000.

The anonymous donor pledged the money to the appeal on the group’s JustGiving crowdfunding page, leaving a comment that said: “To support the excellent work of the sisters”.

The page is seeking to raise £75,000 to build a new community hall in the Melbourne area to serve the Scouts and other community groups.

Two thirds of the money required to build the new hall has already been secured from private benefactors.

Organisers explained on the JustGiving page that this has been done with no state support or subsidy. They said: “The hall is no longer fit for purpose and lacks proper insulation and ventilation. Its fabric is worn and it does not have disabled toilets or wheelchair access.

“We have considered both repair and rebuild and a decision was made to go ahead with the latter for a variety of economic and practical reasons.

“By committing to a rebuild, we will have a modern building that will also provide safety, comfort and support to the local community and local activities.”

The new hall will become home for the eighth Chelmsford Scout group, as well as for the local Toddlers Club, Homework Club, Cookery Club, and a group for older people, among others.

The organisers said: “We hope the community hall will become a focal point of the area that will bring people together for social as well as educational opportunities in what is one of the most deprived areas of Chelmsford. The appeal to raise the funds to build this new facility is named ‘Looking to the Future’, which is exactly what we are all doing, and we hope that this new building will serve our local community for many decades to come.”

The contribution of £10,000 has brought the JustGiving page up to 19 per cent of its final target.