Girl Guides to sell off 5 activity centres.

[Thelnebriati]

''18 May 2023
Girlguiding’s board of trustees...has made an important decision about the activity centres Girlguiding owns. This is because of the investment needed, and the reduced number of members using them in the past decade.
They’ve made the recommendation to sell the 5 activity centres - Blackland Farm, Foxlease, Glenbrook, Waddow Hall and Ynysgain.''

https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-for-volunteers/updates-for-our-members/activity-centre-announcement/

Yes it's about activity centres

"Girl only spaces, so they're safe"

Has just been mentioned.

There is a protest and vigil this weekend- leaders and girls from all over are planning to attend.

Guiding hq has held 2 webinar "consultations" with leaders. Questions had to be submitted in advance and there was an online chat facility.
The overall impression was that they were going through the motions/ but the guiders would not understand the complexity of the situation. It seems like a done deal. Questions were "answered " with cut and paste comments sticking to the party line. Few backup figures were given.
Apparently Guiding needs the London hq, but the Activity centres cost too much and arnt used enough. Despite 3 of them running at a profit and them being so busy you have to book a year in advance. No suggestions of fundraising or compromise were accepted. Many leaders were very upset, it feeylike Girlguiding as we know it had gone, to be replaced with?
Merger with Scouts?
Some sort of girly youth club ?

Adventure apparently will still happen- nearer home, in the meeting place and elsewhere (I note that advertising from PGL has been sent to guide leaders this week for guide/brownie sessions next year)

#notmygirlguiding

Part of me hopes that even if the centres can't be saved (and I have to question why all 5, why keep expensive HQ) that the outcome of all this will be a radical change in the governance of the organisation. Members need to be consulted especially if there are tough decisions to be made, they need that opportunity early in the process. There needs to be greater democracy in the movement leadership. I'm a NT member and each year I have the chance to go to an agm and vote on key policies. Improve the democracy and you have a chance when things get difficult. I think the leadership have vastly underestimated the passion members on the ground have for the organisation. Without those Guiders you are nothing.

I've been out of Guiding 3 years now - I miss it, but I won't be back until the way it operates and the programme changes.

“Some sort of girly youth club ?”

The issue is to make it girls only, I think you need Equality Act exemption for this - ie to exclude boys. You can do this. I mean you can also say applications to be a church minister must be Christians etc. And you can say that a youth group is to be females only and give reasons like females underrepresented in certain domains in life, thrive in single sex environments for some things etc.. But it’s a faff.

After Girlguiding threw out both me and my daughters (aged 6 and 10 at the time), because I raised concerns about safeguarding and disability discrimination, I set up a youth group. I loved running Brownies, having started volunteering for them about 20 years ago, but when setting up my own youth group I couldn’t be bothered with the faff of making it girls only. I’m also not sure I could have fully justified it.

So if Girlguiding dies, which I hope it does because it appears that the Board will never admit that they’re wrong, or that their volunteers are anything other than stupid and couldn’t understand something as complex as their activity centres need refurbished, or different legalisation exists in countries where BGO operates, I don’t think any single sex entity will fill its place. Which is sad. What a legacy their Board will leave.

Agree, sell HQ and fund the centres
staff can wfh or rent a we work office a day a week for meetings
the priory should always be the girls

I'm hoping now that there will be real change in the organisation as a result of this. If Girlguiding dies (which is a distinct possibility) my hope is that Girl Guiding can rise up again as an organisation for girls and women that is modern and vibrant with the girls at the heart of it whilst keeping its core values. I've just finished an assessment for the MA I'm doing based around the value of the girl only space in outdoor learning and the role of GG - the evidence is there that girls need these opportunities - good thing I handed the assessment a few weeks before all this kicked off - otherwise it would have been a very depressing read!!! I think the road ahead for the organisation in the short/medium term is precarious but there is a chance that something better could evolve - HQ just listen to your members (and ex-members)!!!

HQ are very slow at replying, I had a safe space training that I put on Go but it didn't have a valid to date. Took them over a month to get back to me, it was already sorted by then. Not sure what staff they have there now but doubt it's enough to warrant keeping HQ.

I have been to HQ and Pax a number of times as popped in when in London but have never been to any of the centres. Foxlease is closest but still a long way away

In my experience of corporate life, this consultation is merely the prelude to doing what the board has already decided. But that they can say they consulted.

It's a done deal.
By protecting the HQ salaries status quo the entire organisation is going to fold. It's just a matter of time.

An amazing example of group think bringing down an organisation. Usually it's financial, but this time it's ideology.

I'm not sure that chq could be sold very easily.
I was always told that the members fundraised to buy it, brick by brick?

Surely similar could be said of the other locations though, they belong to the membership

The centers were all funded by the members and by donations. Fox lease in the new Forest was a gift from the then owners, and funded by the Princess Mary (1920's) who donated £6000 of her wedding present money. There was a big fundraiser (Raise the roof) for Waddow a few years ago. Glenbrook used to be owned/run by Girlguiding Derbyshire but was taken over by hq.
If 10% of members use them per year (the much quoted figure) that is around 30,000 guides and leaders.

Most unit vary what sort of residentials we offer- over the 4 years in Guides we would aim to do a big international jamboree, a traditional unit camp, a medium sized camo with adventurous activities and perhaps a county camp. Plus indoor weekends in the colder months.

There is a petition on Change . Org. Can't link to it here but google will be your friend.

Three's also a thread on the Petitions and Activism board.

I've said it before, but I think that women have to rebuild all of our organisations from the ground up.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4813803-girlguiding-uks-going-to-close-activity-centres

I went to the protest today.
it’s so sad

Well done for standing up for the girls. I hope that at least some of the centres can be saved and something can be salvaged from the BGO fiasco.
As a result of this democracy in GG should and must improve.

Really sad how the organisation has got to this.

I saw some pictures on Twitter - it didn’t look that well attended - less than 100 I’d guess. Is that right? It’s hard to tell from Twitter posts? Did anyone from GG actually engage with you? I saw the CEO talking to people last night, but nothing today.

It is so sad how little they care about their members and their views.

As someone who volunteers and considered being a leader- it's the antiquated and limiting rules which make running a unit very time consuming and not enjoyable. Ridiculous qualifications (not safeguarding) you have to do, poor use of technology and refusal to engage with apps/msforms/online banking which makes it so difficult to run a unit. I won't say this applies everywhere- but also a strict hierarchy of Regional and national roles and exorbitant subs costs make it so almost all money goes to the centre not the local units trying to stay afloat. Basically too many barriers.

No, there was more like 3-400 I would say

HQ came out after the majority had left apparently

@Wtafis wow that’s quite a lot.

I hope people realised the comtempt / can’t give a 💩 attitude towards volunteers that HQ/ board appear to have - by not coming out until people had left.

And not even acknowledging the events or feelings on their social media channels, instead just plugging selling more of their “merch” this weekend. 🙄💰

https://twitter.com/Girlguiding