Derbyshire Girlguiding campaigners consider takeover bid for axed Peak District activity centre

As previously reported, the Glenbrook outdoor activity centre, near Bamford, is one of five around the country expected to shut on December 31 before being sold off.

Girlguiding’s most senior figures say the move is necessary due to financial pressures and the projected maintenance costs of the centres, but the announcement in May sparked uproar among rank-and-file leaders and members past and present, who were unconvinced by that argument and keen to protect sites which have served their groups for decades.

After three months of intense campaigning, and a petition attracting tens of thousands of signatures, on Monday, August 14, national headquarters ended its statutory consultation period by releasing a new statement confirming its intentions were unchanged.

A spokesperson said: “During the staff consultation, no significant new information has emerged that would change the overall sustainability of the activity centres, or affect the recommendation to sell them.

“So now we are moving on to the next phase of the process, which is to sell the five activity centres we own: Blackland Farm, Foxlease, Glenbrook, Waddow Hall and Ynysgain.”

Acknowledging the strength of feeling provoked by the decision, the statement continued: “Many members have written to our board of trustees about the activity centres. We understand how much the centres mean to everyone involved in Girlguiding.

“We want to thank members for taking the time to make their voices heard. We have met with members, read and responded to letters, read comments on social media and responded to the vigil and march around the time of our AGM.”

The spokesperson added: “Throughout the past few weeks, the dedication to and love for the activity centres from everyone has been clear. We understand and value the lasting and happy memories that have been made over so many years at the centres. We know they have an important place in Girlguiding’s history.

“This is a difficult decision that we wish we did not have to make. But it has been made because we have limited resources, we need to focus on our core purpose of supporting girls and volunteers, and we need to make sure Girlguiding is sustainable for the future.”

There may be some good news for activity leaders and others employed at the centre, as the consultation period has resulted in options which could “mitigate the impact of staff redundancies” which will now be given further consideration.

However, despite claims to have taken the feedback on board, some Girlguiding members do not feel their opinions have been understood and remain disappointed by the organisation’s approach to the issue.

Julie Parker, a leader at the 6th Buxton Methodist Brownies who has been part of Girlguiding for 35 years, said: “As leaders we’re all absolutely devastated but unfortunately this is what we expected. I don’t think they ever had any intention of changing their minds.

“It will have a massive impact on girls in local units who will miss out on opportunities they had before. It’s not just Brownies either. Glenbrook is perfectly placed between Sheffield, Manchester and Chesterfield, and is used by schools, Scouting and Duke of Edinburgh groups.”

She added: “At this point, the only thing keeping me involved is the girls I see having fantastic experiences week-in, week-out. The way this was all decided, and the way we’ve not been listened to, is totally demotivating.

“Angela Salt, the chief executive, says she had 18 months of sleepless nights over this. That’s 18 months when we had no idea about it, and could have been fundraising and making other plans. We never received any more information than the initial announcement.”

According to a recent letter Ms Salt sent to High Peak MP Robert Largan, Glenbrook had made a cumulative loss of £1,000 between 2015 and 2022 – including periods it was completely shut due to the pandemic – and that is just one reason local leaders feel there must be alternatives to closure.

Julie said: “We know Glenbrook is profitable, and by their own admission it wasn’t losing money, but when I spoke to the chief executive she swore blind that it was.

“One of the other centres, Foxlease, was gifted to Girlguiding more than 100 years ago and now needs a lot of work doing to it. I think they’ve lumped all five together and decided it’s not worth the risk – but they’ve done that without warning or giving us the chance to deal with it.”

The campaigners’ can-do spirit is still strong enough that there may be some hope for Glenbrook, but it will require a massive effort on the part of local volunteers and cooperation from those watching the national accounts.

Julie said: “Local organisers are now looking at ways to purchase the different centres and retain them as a place of adventure. It’s early days but a charity has been set up to try and buy Foxlease and there is a group looking to do the same with Glenbrook. There has already been some fundraising going on, and now the decision’s been made we’ll be looking more closely at the business side.

“I imagine they’d be rubbing their hands with glee at national headquarters if they got to sell to these local charities. They’d get the money with none of the risk, and the girls would still have access to the facilities.”

Announcing the launch of the Glenducks - Glenbrook Trust on Monday, a spokesperson said: “After lots of positive discussions with a variety of people a steering group was formed and met for the first time last week. We've got lots of ideas, we just need a little time to get them going.”

For all the latest updates, follow the new Glenducks Facebook page at https://tinyurl.com/4e6bcyvj.

Support your Buxton Advertiser by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe.