Foxie’s Future campaigners celebrating after saving Foxlease Activity Centre, which will reopen as Foxlease Park next year

CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after becoming the “proud” new owners of the Foxlease Activity Centre.

Group Foxie’s Future said it can now give the centre on Clay Hill, just outside Lyndhurst, a new lease of life when it reopens as Foxlease Park in February.

It’s a happy resolution to a battle that campaigners have fought since the site was put up for sale last August by previous owners Girlguiding UK.

Foxie’s Future’s trustees chair Hazel Warwick told the A&T: “We’ve raised huge funds, in excess of £4m, in the 18 months since the charity was incorporated.

“Our most significant thanks must go to the government’s Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for its total grant award to us of £1.78m from round three of the community ownership fund.

“We couldn’t have done it without that significant and valuable contribution which has enabled us to acquire the historic site for the benefit of the community.”

Hazel emphasised the charity’s gratitude for the support it has received over the last 15 months, adding: “Our sincere thanks also go to our secondary grant funders, a number of which are locally based or have community roots in the New Forest, and we are very grateful for their capital support of our project.

“Our thanks also go to each and every individual who has supported us by donating, loaning, fundraising or joining one of our fundraising schemes - the acquisition phase of the project has been a series of challenges and it has taken our community of supporters, made up of former site users and those in our local and international communities, to get us over the purchase line to where we are now.”

As previously reported by the A&T, Foxlease Activity Centre was one of five girlguiding centres nationwide that had been facing the axe as part of a cost-cutting drive.

Foxie’s Future campaigners had been left feeling “exceedingly disappointed” after a previous offer to buy the site, which had a £4m price tag, was rejected in favour of another buyer.

However, the campaigners revealed in September they were the preferred bidder for the site.

More than 57,000 people signed a petition to save the site, which had been training Guides since 1922, from closure.

Following the latest announcement the site will now get a second lease of life, Foxie’s Future trustee Emma Stevens said: “We can’t wait to get stuck into phase two – bringing the next generation of Foxlease to life.

“Our aim is to open on a phased basis for camping, residential and community use from mid-February. We’ve thought long and hard about how we brand the site moving forwards and we’ve decided to look back to its local historical roots and to call it Foxlease Park.”

She continued: “We’ll be sharing information on booking in the coming days but please do start planning your visit for next year now as early bookings are hugely important for us.

“The site won’t be open to visitors publicly until next year, but we’ll certainly be very busy in the meantime.”

The charity said it is seeking further fundraising support as it moves into the next phase of the project. A spokesperson said the funds are needed to support its costs until Foxlease is “fully operational” and enable works needed at the site.

Foxie’s Future is also seeking initial volunteer support, and people are urged to find out more about how to help the charity via its website at foxiesfuture.co.uk