Target reached!
Any money raised above our target of £10,000 will be allocated towards the purchase ...
Waddow Hall Trust Great Christmas Challenge
Clitheroe, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Aim
Our Great Christmas Challenge aims to raise £10,000 in 5 weeks. You can 'Sponsor a Bauble' , 'Buy a Brick' or 'Sponsor a Room/ Building'.
Waddow Hall Trust are continuing their Fundraising efforts to try and raise the £3.25m required to purchase Waddow Hall Estate from Girlguiding and re-open it as a heritage, conference and outdoor activity site open to community groups, schools and the general public.
Waddow Hall is a Grade II listed 17th Century Manor House with history dating back to the 13th Century when it was built as a Dower House for the Tempest family of Waddington Old Hall. In 1879 it was acquired by the Garnett family, a large respectable family known for industrial philanthropy, their textile manufacturing business and the expansion of Low Moor village to house their textile workers. In 1927 it was purchased by Girlguiding and has nearly 100 years of Guiding History. The Estate is significantly important to the area of Clitheroe and globally to current and past Girlguiding members.
Waddow will close as a Girlguiding Training and Activity centre on 31st December 2023 and all staff made redundant. The Estate is currently on the market for £3.25m. We have managed to secure Asset of Community Value Status for the majority of the Estate and have 6 months from 16th October 2023 to raise the purchase price.
Waddow is so much more than a building, it is a 'home from home' incorporating 178 acres of land and offering indoor accomodation in the Hall and a variety of outbuildings, 9 camp sites of various sizes and a range of adventurous activities such as canoeing, rafting, zip wire, caving, team building, bushcraft, escape rooms and many more.
This is our Christmas Campaign and we are looking to raise £10,000 which will be used for any surveys, valuations and legal and admin fees we will incur when we put in our bid to purchase. Any surplus funds raised can be used towards the purchase price.
Please donate today to help us purchase Waddow Hall and continue to run it as a Conference / Residential / Outdoor Activity Centre for the benefit of all ages in the local, national and international community. Every donation will help.
"Over the years Waddow Hall has given so much to the local community, as well as to schools from further afield like us and the Girl Guiding Association. In an age when we are actively promoting outdoor education and instilling in our young people the importance of nature for good mental health and positivity, it seems counter-productive that we are losing places like Waddow Hall. On a personal note, I have attended the venue with my school group each year and found the standard of accommodation, food, the activities and the professionalism of the staff to be of the highest possible quality. We simply cannot lose one of our lovely spaces, which has given so much enjoyment and benefit to young people" Headteacher Stockport based School
"Why is the intrinsic value of Waddow Hall so important to the Ribble Valley?
In a nutshell, it offers –
- Safe spaces for young people to try out adventurous activities.
- Peaceful spaces for young people to collect their thoughts.
- Inclusivity and accessibility – despite the hills!
- Adventurous activities – if you’ve never tried a grass sledge down the front lawn, then I recommend you do! Alternatively head out the back to zip through the trees.
- Variety – conference rooms that become Wizardly schools, wedding breakfast rooms, Burns Night ceilidh halls, cafes, and so much more!
What does the Ribble Valley stand to lose if Waddow Hall closes?
- A safe space for young people
- Activities for young people that are inclusive and accessible, adventurous and safe
- Employment opportunities – the negative spiral effect of this will be a reduction in expenditure in the local economy.
- Tourism opportunities – again the negative spiral effect will reduce expenditure in the local economy. " Local Resident - Clitheroe
How can you support us?
You can sponsor a bauble for £10 - help us fill our tree.
Or
You can Buy a Brick for £100
We are also continuing to seek sponsors for our rooms and buildings.
Please visit our website Waddow Hall Trust if you want to find out more about us.
In the event that we do not raise sufficient funds from our various fundraising avenues to purchase Waddow Hall then any funds raised from this crowdfunding campaign will be held by Waddow Hall Trust and distributed by way of grants to youth groups, schools and adult social groups to allow then to undertake the kind of residential / activity day at another venue that they would have enjoyed at Waddow Hall in the past. In the event that the Trust is wound up , any remaining funds will be transferred to a charity (charities) with similar aims and objectives.
This project successfully funded on 30th December 2023