A fundraising drive to renovate the flood-hit Catterburn Brownie House – which has hosted Bearsden and Milngavie Girlguiding members for generations – has been given a boost.
Milngavie couple Nataliya and Vladimir Dasiukevich were saddened to hear of the damage suffered to the Girlguiding Dunbartonshire property, near Croftamie, which has been a cherished venue for Brownie pack holidays since it was built in the 1980s.
The duo, whose daughter Sophie was a member of 2nd Milngavie Brownies, appealed to their employer, Yukon Group, for support. The company responded generously with a £4,000 donation towards the renovation efforts.
‘Cherished memories’
Nataliya said: “Our daughter loves Girlguiding, and Catterburn outings were one of the most cherished memories of her time as a Brownie.
“It’s a unique place for young girls to get their first experience of independence and outdoor adventure while feeling safe and having some modern comforts.
“It was upsetting to find out the Brownie House was so badly damaged that no future generations of girls will have the experience that Sophie had unless the building is completely renovated.
“The company we work for – Yukon Group – has a tradition of supporting good causes around Europe, with a focus on outdoor lifestyle, education and, lately, Ukrainian refugees.
“They had never heard of Girlguiding previously, but, when we explained the role this organization has been playing in girls’ life for more than a century and, in this particular case, what an amazing asset Catterburn’s Brownie House has been – they were happy to help.”
A welcome donation
Lynne Gibbons, leader of 1st Milngavie Brownies, was delighted to receive the donation from Polaris Vision, which is the UK division of Yukon Group.
She said: “When we discovered how badly the Brownie House had been damaged, we were devastated. It had served us so well, for many years, and was maintained on a very tight budget by a dedicated team of volunteers.
“However, the flood has given us the opportunity to plan an even better Brownie House and we’re very excited to create a facility that is accessible, modern and a real home from home for everyone who stays there.
“We have started a huge fundraising drive and Rainbow, Brownie, Guide and Ranger units across Dunbartonshire have been pitching in. Some brave leaders are even taking part in a fire walk later this month.
“And now we have a very generous donation, which is a huge boost to our funds. We can’t thank Nataliya, Vladimir and the Yukon Group enough.
“Nataliya is one of our unit helpers and we were thrilled when she told us of the donation.”
Lynne added: “We still have a long way to go on our fundraising drive and if any Dunbartonshire businesses wish to support us as we renovate Catterburn, please get in touch by emailing catterburnchair@girlguidingdunbartonshire.org.uk.”
Fire walk
All are welcome to watch the fire walk, which takes place from 4pm to 8pm on Sunday, March 24 at Milngavie Guide Hall. Attendees can enjoy refreshments and a tombola.
Catterburn’s Brownie House may be out of bounds for now, but the campsite is still available for hire. For more information, visit https://www.girlguidingdunbartonshire.org.uk/catterburn-campsite/