Project to refurbish Downham Market Girlguiding facilities is group's 'own DIY SOS'
An auction and fete in Downham next month will aim to raise funds to refurbish “awful” facilities used by Girlguiding groups.
Officials say the event, which will be held at the Howdale Road Scout and Guide Association HQ on Saturday, October 12, will help make the venue a “safe space” for everyone who uses it.
Emma Smith, a leader at 1st Downham Market Rainbows, said the project to refurbish the hut, which has been used for the last 30 years, will be their “own DIY SOS”.
She said: “We desperately want to improve our awful hut facilities in Downham Market.”
The hut is currently used by two Rainbow units, two Brownie units, and one Ranger unit, which are made up of around 150 young girls aged between five and 18.
“Our aim is to give girls a space to grow, thrive and encourage them to help their communities,” Emma said.
The hut’s toilets and kitchen are in need of replacing, as they have not been refurbished since the building opened in 1990.
The toilets are currently not accessible, as there is no disabled toilet, and the kitchen is not “functional or safe”, meaning many of the units do not use it.
There are also hopes to refresh the meeting room with new flooring and paintwork.
“We would be keen to get the toilets sorted first as they aren’t very pleasant for our members and get used more frequently,” Emma said.
She added: “We want to engage our local community including our young members, parents of our members, leaders/volunteers as well as any local people who want to help.
“This hut has seen countless young members over the last 30 years, and needs some community spirit to give it a new lease of life.
“This is going to benefit the next generation of Girlguides in our area.”
Like all Girlguiding units, the leaders of the units at the Howdale Road Scout and Guide Association HQ are all volunteers, meaning that everyone involved in the project is doing so in their own time.
At the moment, they do not have a specific target for how much they would like to raise, but they believe it will take a lot of work.
“We know it isn’t going to happen overnight,” she added.
“At this stage we don’t know about any future events, but we are definitely going to be doing all we can to raise as much as possible to refurb our hut.”
As it is hoped it will be a community project, Emma said any assistance would be appreciated.
She said: “Whether it’s an odd job or offer of new toilets, we would love our girls to see what can be done when people come together.”
The fundraising event starts at 2pm on October 12. The auction, which will be run by Marcus J from Barry Hawkins, will feature a number of donated items from local businesses. The fete will include games for children and refreshments.
