IMPORTANT NEWS: Our lease expired in January 2008 and in March 2007 we asked the owners if we might buy the land. Finally we have a response. We can renew the lease for a further five years at a hugely increased rent of £2,400 per annum or purchase the freehold for £30,000
Your Brownie and Guide leaders feel that we should buy the freehold to secure this facility for the future of the young people of Mitcheldean but we have a very short time to raise the money. We will also need approximately a further £15,000 to renovate the building.
Fund Raising
Guide and Scout associations are very good at fund raising, but usually we do it for other charities. We have started fund raising for this project by collecting ink cartridges, mobile phones and aluminium for recycling and sponsored events.
Suttons Seeds - available in the hut on Thursday evenings. Only £1 per packet
Easter Saturday Cake Sale fast becomming an annual event. More details to follow.
We have approached local businesses for help, but would also be be very grateful for any donations from individuals or other groups.
The Forester has awarded us the Community £100 for April - Thank you. There was a picture of the Brownies in the paper.
Mitcheldean Soap will make a donation for orders placed through www.morethanbubbles.co.uk linked from here.
If you would like further information or help with fund raising, please email trisha@mitcheldeanbrownies.org.uk or telephone 01594 544983.
Events
Cake Sale Thank you everyone who brought cakes or bought cakes and especially Rachel, Helen and Karen with Lydia and Maggie who stood in the freezing cold selling cakes.
Forest of Dean Half Marathon. it was a cold wet and windy morning on Sunday but about 1,600 runners set off from Parkend following the cycle-way through the Forest. Approximately 1 hour 15 mins later we saw the lead runner heading along the track to the finish line. Your Mitcheldean Guide and Brownie leaders and their families were there, on the finish line, to give every runner a medal, a sweetie, drink and for the first 50 ladies and 50 gents a Tee-shirt. It was so cold that our fingers were numb and sometimes it was difficult to pickup a medal ribbon to hand to and congratulate the arriving runner, but it was a great event and we felt privileged to greet them.
Forest fundraisers
Presenting the cheque to Rebekah
Jubilee Lodge History
Jubilee Lodge (our meetings hut) was originally built in 1980 at the lower end of Colchester Close, Mitcheldean. In the 1990's it was moved to the upper end of the close to make way for a new housing estate. The building is now in need of repairs as the roof leaks, the windows are deteriorating and the building (and children) would benefit greatly from better heating. It would look better if it were painted, both outside and in.
But first we have to buy the freehold on the land!
Jubilee Lodge is used by Mitcheldean Brownies, Cubs and Guides (currently there are no Scout, Beaver or Rainbow groups as no adult leaders are available). Ages of children range from 7 to about 15 and the leaders can be aged 15 to 65. The building is also used for training events, for example, first aid and for leaders meetings at district or division level.

In the future we would like to start Rainbow and Beaver groups as well as Scouts, Venture Scouts and Guiding Senior Section - if you are interested in joining one of these groups or running one of them, please let us know (if you are already on the Brownie or Cub waiting list, but below minimum age for that group we assume you'd be interested in the younger age section). We are especially interested to hear from girls aged 14+ who would be interested in forming a Senior Section, meeting in Mitcheldean.