Gutter load of this: Exeter Girlguiding do us proud!

21st January 2022

Girl Guides have been around since 1909, and since then have branched out into Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers. Empowering girls with their philosophy of “We Discover, We Grow”, they’ve seen some remarkable achievements from girls of all ages. They’ve changed many lives by championing the voices of girls, encouraging wellbeing by tackling issues facing young women, and above all, providing adventures and opportunities to discover new things.

Trefoil Lodge in the St. Thomas area of Exeter is the much-loved home to Exeter’s division of Girlguiding. The building provides a space for 55 units – that’s over 900 girls! Five of those units meet at the lodge on a weekly basis. When it’s not being used by the girls, the lodge is available to hire year-round.

Back in 2020, this centre of activity was in need of a bit of TLC, so the division started renovating the inside. The community rallied together, with help coming from all over the place. Lots of paint, carpet, and a brand-new kitchen later, the hall was looking fabulous!

But something threatened the outside of the building. The guttering was leaking! If left, they were worried that it would lead to severe water damage.

Knowing something had to be done, they did some research and found our Water Saving Community Fund, and applied for our help. Recognising the importance of this building, and the difference it makes to the lives of many girls in and around Exeter, we were delighted to help them out. Over 50 metres of guttering later, and the hall looked transformed. Gone was the brown, tired-looking, and leaky guttering of the past, and in its place, fresh, white lines ran down either side of the roof. The whole building was brightened up and preserved for future generations.

This forward-thinking group didn’t stop there. Now that they could collect all the water from their roof, they used some of our funding to buy water butts and watering cans so that they could save the water and use it in their garden.

“This has opened up many possibilities for us,” Jo, the division commissioner, said, “we’re hoping to plant flowers and vegetables in the spring, teaching the girls how to grow their own.”

The environment, and ways to look after it is something the division is very passionate about, and now they’ll make a huge difference to protecting the South West’s water resources for the future. Plus, the plants they grow will prefer the rainwater anyway – so it’s a win-win!

We wish the girls every success in learning these new skills and earning their badges! Well done, Exeter Girlguiding!