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Lifelong Girlguiding member’s devastation after campaigners’ bid for Foxlease activity centre in Lyndhurst is rejected




A LIFELONG member of the Girlguiding community has spoken of her “utter devastation” after learning campaigners had been rejected in their bid to buy Foxlease activity centre in Lyndhurst.

As reported in the A&T, Foxlease on Clay Hill is one of five Girlguiding activity centres across the country which was axed in a cost-cutting drive by the organisation.

In a bid to save the site, campaigners formed charitable organisation Foxie’s Future and registered the building as an Asset of Community Value, which enables them to bid for the property.

Foxlease activity centre on Clay Hill in Lyndhurst
Foxlease activity centre on Clay Hill in Lyndhurst

However, they were left “exceedingly disappointed” after they were revealed not to be the preferred bidder.

Charly Armstrong (26), who first visited the centre aged just four days thanks to her mother’s involvement in Girlguiding, said she cried “for a good hour” on learning the sites would be sold.

She said she had “grown up on the estate” and it was “unfathomable” she would never return.

Charly Armstrong
Charly Armstrong

Charly is part of the the Garret Theatre Company, helping to produce Spitfire Patrol, a one-act play focusing on Girlguides in the Second World War.

She explained: “It was written before and during the announcement of the closure of the centres [and] since then we have been using it as much as possible to spread the word and raise money.

“When Foxlease closed and we could no longer meet there, we started up an online magazine called the Spitfire Patrol Log – it was our way of keeping everyone talking about Foxlease while we couldn't be there in person.”

Members of the Spitfire Patrol
Members of the Spitfire Patrol

In an open letter to Girlguiding she says: “We thought at first our outrage would be enough – surely you would see what a colossal mistake you were making and change your minds? But when you didn’t, we decided to meet you where you were.

“Of course, you didn’t expect us to achieve what we did, to raise enough money to buy Foxlease – the task seemed insurmountable, even to us – but nevertheless, we did it.

“From Rainbows to members of the Trefoil Guild, we scraped together every penny we had. We did sponsored hikes, bake sales, craft fairs – you name it.

A banner was tied to the gates of Foxlease (picture: Charly Armstrong)
A banner was tied to the gates of Foxlease (picture: Charly Armstrong)

“We wrote letters in their thousands, even the very youngest of us put pen to paper, letting you know how we felt. “We drummed up so much support from the local community, being awarded grants to help us keep Foxlease open as a community asset and home for Girlguiding, and in the end we exceeded your expectations.”

She added: “How do we tell the children who have poured their hearts into saving Foxlease that no matter what they did it wasn’t enough? You continue to promote to the world this ethos of ‘girls can do anything’, of listening to your members and valuing your community, and yet the reality is quite different.

Foxlease Girlguiding activity centre at Lyndhurst
Foxlease Girlguiding activity centre at Lyndhurst

“In truth, I am struggling to find the words to convey the utter devastation you have brought to Girlguiding and its members. I don’t know what else I can say that hasn’t already been said and ignored a thousand times over. “Though I do want you to know that the trustees and supporters of Foxie’s Future are some of the most incredible women I have ever known.”

A banner was last week tied to the gates of Foxlease which read ‘For the girls – tell us why’. It was later removed.

A spokesperson for Girlguiding told the A&T it was unable to confirm a date for the sale to be finalised or who the new owner would be, but added it would share more information “over the coming months”.



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