Charity wins fight to buy historical Girlguide base

A charity has won its battle to buy a historical Girlguiding centre, which hosted the first world camp a century ago.

Girlguiding announced plans in May 2023 to sell its five activity centres, including the Foxlease estate in the New Forest.

Foxie's Future said it had managed to raise more than £4m in 18 months to save Foxlease from permanent closure.

The charity said the site would reopen for camping, residential stays and community use from February 2025. 

Foxie's Future chair Hazel Warwick said: "We’re just overwhelmed. We can't believe it's happened.

"There has been so much hard work from everybody to get to this place."

Previously, Girlguiding said its five centres - Blackland Farm (West Sussex), Foxlease (Hampshire), Glenbrook (Derbyshire), Waddow Hall (Lancashire) and Ynysgain (Gwynedd) - had been running at a loss and required major investment.

Ms Warwick said: "We absolutely know what we've taken on and we're absolutely confident we can deliver it."

She said the site - to be renamed Foxlease Park - would offer a cafe, camping, outdoor activities and potentially weddings.

The charity will sell off three cottages on the estate to help pay back more than 300 creditors, she added.

Money for the purchase has also come from a £1.78m grant from the government's Community Ownership Fund.

Girlguiding said it was delighted its members would still be able to use the site in future.

Foxlease, a Georgian house with 64 acres (26 hectares) of grounds near Lyndhurst, Hampshire, hosted more than 1,000 girls and Girlguiding leaders from 40 countries at the first world camp in 1924.

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