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Ōrewa Guide unit team leader Clare Grimwood says she was emotional at hearing the news that their battle to prevent the sale of their den was over.
The organisation’s national office, GirlGuiding NZ, had planned to sell the den in Centreway Road following a decision three years ago to reduce the number of properties it owns.
Guide leaders and parents were vocal in asking that the Ōrewa property be retained.
The board of GirlGuiding NZ considered the issue at a meeting on November 20 and last week, informed Ōrewa Guides that the den would not be sold after all.
The letter to the guides from chief executive Lauren McKinnon says that feedback on the value of the Ōrewa Guide Den to both Guiding, the girls’ experience, and the wider Ōrewa community, was the reason for the change of heart.
“It was incredibly encouraging to see the support for the Ōrewa Guide den, both from those involved in Guiding and within the wider Ōrewa community,” the letter says. “We look forward to working with you all and hearing your ideas on making this hall successful for Guiding and the Ōrewa community, including increasing external hire income and addressing any necessary repairs and maintenance to ensure that the hall remains in a reasonable condition.”
Grimwood says she was ecstatic at the news.
“It had been a stressful few weeks, and getting that result was amazing,” she says. “It was all because of the parents and leaders, past and present, who contacted GirlGuiding NZ. They heard from so many people, and they listened,” she says.
