After discovering that the local Girl Guides group were in urgent need of specialised equipment so they could take up the opportunity of taking part in the outdoor camping activities which are an essential component of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, the Freemasons of Priory Chapter in Guisborough made a £250 donation to them.
This was matched with another £250 from their Regional Charity in York and with £350 from the Central Masonic Charitable Foundation in London. Thus, giving Guisborough Girl Guides a total of £860 masonic funding.
This allowed them to purchase lightweight tents, portable outdoor cooking stoves, hiking boots, and haversacks, which were loaned out to girls whose families cannot afford to buy them, thus allowing them to join in the outdoor group activities.
The funding also allowed the Guides to purchase a set of four radios. Previously they had to borrow the radios, but they were not available for their recent expedition. The Guide Leader said that with the new radios they were able to maintain contact during remote supervision which was reassuring for the girls, parents and organisers especially when they are a girl only group and quite young. This allowed the girls to stretch their boundaries, knowing they can easily contact a Leader, if needed.
The next group of Guides for the D of E are already signing up, many of them girls who wouldn't normally have done so because of the added expense of buying a rucksack, boots, etc, some to start their Bronze award, whilst others can now start their Silver. And after seeing the benefits achieved from their original donation, the Freemasons of Priory Chapter are now donating further funding to the Guisborough Girl Guides
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