Guides need help at new adventure house

Girlguiding UK, which owns and runs Waddow Hall, near Clitheroe, has just completed the building of a new group adventure house which replaces old prefabricated buildings that had been used for the last 50 years.

The new self-contained accommodation, situated in the hall's grounds, opened last month and provides rooms for 30 Guides and their leaders during their activity holidays.

But bosses at Waddow Hall, which is one of three centres in the UK to provide leadership training for Girlguiding's 70,000 volunteer leaders, now need to equip the new building with furniture, kitchen equipment and all the items needed for self catering. Work to complete the hall and to equip it fully is expected to cost around £80,000.

Manager Paul Etheridge, who took over the running of the hall in January as part of a three-person management team, said: "Girlguiding is a charity so everything raised is ploughed back into training Guides here.

"We have 60 beds in the hall, but they are often used for training and conferences, so we needed to build this new accommodation. Unfortunately we still need to furnish it so we're appealing to any local trusts for financial help."

The adventure house has been built with donations from national and local charitable trusts, members of the Guide Association and friends of Girlguiding UK. Regionally Waddow Hall, which was bought by the guide movement in 1927, provides a safe facility for Brownies, Guides and local school children.

Margaret Thompson, a member of the hall's fundraising group, said: "The adventure house will provide an opportunity for young people from all areas of the North West to experience a quality residential experience in fully accessible accommodation within a safe, secure, rural setting. We also intend to promote the house to school and community groups."

Anyone wishing to support the project is asked to contact manager Paul Etheridge on 01200 423186.