On 13th September Girlguiding UK's President, HRH The Countess of Wessex, officially opened a new Group Adventure House at the Guides' Training and Activity Centre, Waddow Hall. This 178 acre site has been owned by the Guide Association since 1927 and sits on the River Ribble in Lancashire (pictured below). The new house, which has accommodation to sleep 30, will be used by members of Girlguiding UK and other youth organisations for week-long camps or short breaks where they can enjoy activities including, archery, canoeing, rock climbing and rafting. The site is also equipped to be used by companies for holding conferences and team building exercises.
The new £680,000 Adventure House replaces the Brownie House, which was in need of major renovation, and was made possible thanks to excellent local fundraising and a key partnership with the larger national appeal. A successful lottery bid and support from major charitable trusts enabled the Guides to raise funds to provide Group Adventure Houses at each of their three National Leadership Training Centres where volunteer leaders will receive vital hands-on training to help them run effective 'pack holidays' for their groups.
This achievement follows months of painstaking research and planning, in partnership with Tarnside Consulting. The national appeal received widespread support from charitable trusts with the largest single grant weighing in at an impressive £250,000. Significant additional funds have also been raised by the Centres themselves whose staff have worked tremendously hard in their local areas.
Her Royal Highness also officially opened Princess Margaret Lodge at its Training and Activity Centre at Foxlease, Hampshire on Friday 28 October. This new building has been named after Girlguiding UK’s third president, Princess Margaret, who played an active role in the organisation since 1965. Building is also well underway at the third and final Centre, Blackland Farm in West Sussex.
For those not already familiar with Girlguiding UK, it is Britain's largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women with almost 700,000 members in the UK and 10 million world wide. Rainbow, Brownie, Guide and Ranger units run in every village, town and city centre, catering to every section of society, including girls with disabilities. Their mission is to enable girls and young women in the UK to fulfil their potential to take an active and responsible role in society through the distinctive, stimulating and enjoyable programme of activities delivered by its 70,000 trained volunteer leaders.
The Brownies and Guides look forward to their residential experiences enormously. For many it's their first time away from home and a chance to find independence, try out different activities and make new friends. Volunteer leaders must be provided with top rate training and motivation so that they can make sure their girls have the best possible experience. The new Group Adventure Houses will enable this to happen!
(May 2006)