Girlguiding Cleveland owns a property in the beautiful countryside of the North Yorkshire Moors where young members are given the opportunity to have a weekend or longer away from the hustle and bustle of the towns, they live in. Our property is unique compared to other Girlguiding owned properties because we have two buildings which can be hired out separately. Our house can accommodate up to 25 people whereas our cottage can accommodate a smaller group of up to 12 people. Our cottage offers a smaller space for smaller groups to go away without the cost of the holiday being too out of reach for them. Many of the young members we take away to our property come from a disadvantaged background more so now with the cost-of-living crisis.

Sadly over the last few years our cottage has encountered a damp problem which has now left it in an inhabitable state and desperately needs repairing before we can continue letting smaller groups use it. By securing these much needed funds we will be able to make our cottage habitable again thus allowing more young members to experience time away from the hustle and bustle of the towns.

For many of the young members who use our property it is their first experience of being in the countryside and many quote that they feel they are ‘miles away from home’. Many of the young members who walk through the doors of Egton experience their first time away from their families in a safe girl only space. Whilst at Egton the young members learn new skills; even things as simple as how to peel a potato or wash up. So many of the young members go home and excitedly tell their parents how they want to help do the washing up because they learnt how to do it at Egton. Many young members who have been to Egton always remember the happy times they have had there and are usually brought by a parent who fondly says they have had a Brownie/Guide holiday here at Egton. Many have fond memories of Egton and we would like to continue making those memories with our current and future members of Girlguiding Cleveland.

Girlguiding Cleveland, is a small branch off the main Girlguiding UK charity and is made up of the areas of Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Billingham, Redcar and Cleveland. Many of the areas in Cleveland are highly deprived areas. Of the North East’s 29 Parliamentary constituencies, 21 have more than one in three children living below the poverty line, with the highest rates being in two areas that Girlguiding Cleveland operates in, Middlesbrough 48.7% and Redcar 38.4%. According to research, almost 67% of children living in poverty in the region are from working families. In addition, 46% of children living in lone-parent families are living below the poverty line. The above statistics don’t even account for the hardship being felt today by growing numbers of North East families as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, which is hitting those already on low incomes the very hardest. Children should be able to enjoy a normal childhood without fear or worry of the financial burden of attending a simple weekend away with their friends.