Conservative MPs have criticised Girlguiding’s decisions to sell its activity centres and end its overseas operations, labelling them as “utterly bizarre”.
Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, said the decisions were “incredibly concerning” as she opened a Westminster Hall debate on the issue yesterday [19 September].
“These utterly bizarre decisions come after no real warning and no consultation with members,” she told MPs.
Girlguiding’s board of trustees announced plans to scrap all British Girlguiding Overseas operations, which offered guiding opportunities to girls living abroad, in April.
Then in May, the charity announced plans to sell its five activity centres – Lackland Farm, Foxlease, Glenbrook, Waddow Hall and Ynysgain – due to concerns about financial sustainability and low uptake.
“If these activity centres are sold off, there is no bringing them back,” Dinenage told MPs. “They will simply be turned into another relic of a wonderful past where children could be children.”
Stuart Andrew, the charities minister, told MPs that although he shared their disappointment, he has been assured that Girlguiding’s board of trustees “has not taken the decision lightly”.
He said: “Girlguiding is an independent organisation and its board of trustees has a fiscal responsibility to take decisions in the organisation’s best interests in order to secure its future and the safety of its members.”
Julian Lewis, whose constituency of New Forest East contains the Foxlease activity centre, asked the minister whether the Charity Commission could intervene.
“Where there is a clear lack of internal accountability, we have to look to the Charity Commission as a last resort to see whether the mismanagement can be limited in its terrible effects,” said Lewis.
Andrew responded: “As a registered charity, Girlguiding is obliged to do the usual reporting. Anybody can raise any case with the Charity Commission, and colleagues may feel that they want to take that step.”
A spokesperson for Girlguiding told Third Sector: “Like many charities, Girlguiding has had to make difficult decisions in challenging times with limited resources.
“The operating environment has changed substantially in recent years and both these areas of work are no longer viable owing to the financial and operational risks.”
A number of campaign groups have been launched with the aim of protecting the centres from closure, including Foxie’s Future – a charitable incorporated organisation founded by Girlguiding leaders which is crowdfunding with the goal of buying the Foxlease centre.
Hazel Warwick, a trustee at Foxie’s Future, welcomed the input from MPs on this issue, saying: “The debate highlighted the impact that the loss of the training and activity centres will have on our future young people.”
She added that Foxie’s Future respected the decision to sell the centres, but is asking for more time to secure the funds it needs to buy the centre once it comes to market.