Girlguiding has announced that it has sold the last of its five former activity centres, which it first announced its intentions to sell in 2023, despite protests.
Ynysgain, a 19th century house on the coast in North Wales, has now been sold as a private residence by a local family for an undisclosed amount.
Girlguiding previously sold its four other former activity centres: Blackland Farm, Foxlease, Glenbrook, and Waddow Hall, all of which are still being used as outdoor activity or camping and caravan sites under their new owners.
The four previously sold properties were listed for sale for a combined total of £13m, including Blackland Farm, which was advertised for £4m before being bought by an adventure operator.
Foxlease was purchased and reopened by a new charity called Foxie’s Future while Waddow Hall was bought by the GT Foundation, a locally based charity in Lancashire.
Glenbrook was sold in December last year to local residents who plan to run it as a camp and caravan site.
On the final sale, Girlguiding chair Denise Wilson and chief guide Tracy Foster said in a statement: “We have been thoughtful in our approach to the sale of Ynysgain.
“We are pleased that the property will remain in the hands of people who are local to the area and value its place within the community, while enabling us to continue to invest in adventures for girls across the UK.”
The activity centres were all closed at the end of 2023, despite two petitions protesting the closures garnering thousands of signatures.
The closures affected 97 roles: 35 permanent staff and 62 contract staff.
At the time, the charity said that the closures were “a difficult decision that we wish we did not have to make”, but cited “limited resources” as the reason for the closure.
Girlguiding added that the activity centres had been “running at an overall loss” and had been used by less than 10% of its membership each year for a decade.
The money from the activity centre closures and subsequent sales has been placed into a designated fund that will “honour the legacy of the properties and enable us to invest in the future of Girlguiding”, the charity said.
