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National activity centres are sold
In 2023 Girlguiding decided to sell its five national activity centres. Four closed at the end of that year; the last sale was completed in May 2026.
On 18 May 2023 Girlguiding’s trustees recommended selling the five activity centres the organisation owned: Blackland Farm, Foxlease, Glenbrook, Waddow Hall and Ynysgain.[1] After a statutory consultation, the sale was confirmed on 14 August 2023.[2] Four of the centres closed as Girlguiding centres on 31 December 2023. The exception was Ynysgain, which was then being leased by Girlguiding Cymru.[10]
Reasons and responses
Girlguiding said that fewer than 10% of members had used the centres in the previous decade, that they were running at an overall loss after historic underinvestment, and that they would need more than £20 million. The proceeds would go into a designated investment fund.[1]
Many members raised concerns about the loss of heritage, access to the outdoors and the sale of places earlier generations had helped to build and pay for. The sale, together with the closure of British Girlguiding Overseas, was debated in Westminster Hall on 19 September 2023.[3]
What happened to each centre
| Centre | Where | Sold | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackland Farm | near East Grinstead, Sussex | April 2024, to a local outdoor-activity operator[5] | Outdoor activity centre, open to Guides, Scouts and schools |
| Foxlease | Hampshire | November 2024, to the charity Foxie’s Future[6] | Campsite, activity centre and community resource |
| Waddow Hall | Clitheroe, Lancashire | April 2025, to the local charity GT Foundation[7] | Activity centre and campsite |
| Glenbrook | Bamford, Hope Valley, Derbyshire | December 2025, to local residents[8] | Planned camp and caravan site with subsidised group access |
| Ynysgain | near Criccieth, Gwynedd | May 2026, to a local Welsh-speaking family[9] | Private residence |
Foxlease had a special place in international Guiding: it hosted the first World Camp in 1924, which brought together 1,100 girls and young women from 40 countries.[4]
Sources
- Girlguiding, “An important announcement about our activity centres”, 2023-05-18. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- Girlguiding, “Update about Girlguiding's activity centres: moving to the next phase of the process”, 2023-08-14.
- UK Parliament, “Youth Programmes and Girlguiding (Westminster Hall debate)”, House of Commons Hansard, vol. 737, 2023-09-19, pp. 504WH–512WH. Accessed 25 September 2026. Westminster Hall debate opened by Dame Caroline Dinenage; the Minister, Stuart Andrew, responded.
- World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, “Our history”, WAGGGS. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- Girlguiding, “An update about Blackland Farm”, 2024-04-16.
- Girlguiding, “New ownership for Foxlease activity centre”, 2024-11-19.
- Girlguiding, “New ownership for Waddow Hall activity centre”, 2025-04-10.
- Girlguiding, “Announcement of new owner for Glenbrook”, 2025-12-04.
- Girlguiding, “Update on Ynysgain activity centre”, 2026-05-19.
- Girlguiding, “Looking back at the activity centres: 100 years of incredible experiences”, 2023-12-12. Accessed 25 October 2026. Blog post marking the closure of Girlguiding's activity centres. Institutional and celebratory; useful for remembered details, not a record of the time.