Building Appeal

Girlguiding Kidlington used to meet in a concrete prefabricated building. We've now, thanks to a very generous loan from Cherwell District Council, and a great deal of fundraising and grants, rebuilt on the same site.

The Guide Centre acts as ‘home’ to around over 200 girls, young women and Leaders who meet on a weekly basis. It's also home to Kidlington Trefoil Guild whose members are over 18 and support the guiding ethos and pledge to help others.

Our Progress

We've currently paid off £45,000 of our loan from Cherwell District Council

Our Rebuilding Journey

Where we started

Back in 2007, our, then, District Commissioner, Yvette Dodd, suggested we think seriously about rebuilding our Guide Centre. The building was then 35 years old, having been opened in 1973, and in dire need! The concrete was degrading, the wooden doors and windows starting to rot and the asbestos cement roofing panels were starting to sag under their accumulation of years worth of moss. Vandalism had been a major problem in the past leading to the boarding up of all the windows on the wall adjacent to the alley. Then, in 2004 squirrels got into the roof damaging the building even further.

Our Rebuilding Journey

A Feasibility study was carried out in 2008, and although other sites were looked at, we decided to rebuild on our existing site. A Fundraising Committee was formed and in 2010, once the sum of £20,000 had been raised, a Building Committee was formed. After interviewing several Architectural Practices, we appointed Blackwood Architects to design our new Centre.

By 2014, we had raised £100,000, so looked at alternative options. We looked at both refurbishing and other options for rebuilding and chose to rebuild but with a reduced plan. This new plan became a possibility when Cherwell District Council offered us a loan.

Plans