On a morning in October, Burley Rainbows, Brownies and Guides planted 3000 purple crocus bulbs on the village green.

With the agreement of the Parish Council, the local Rotary Club provided the bulbs which are to support the Purple4Polio campaign. The purple colour is to raise awareness and funds for tackling polio around the world. It will serve as a colourful reminder of the progress being made towards a polio-free world.

The crocus bulbs will flower in early spring next year and for years to come.

The girls, parents and leaders did a fabulous job

Waddow Hall, near Clitheroe, is well known in Girlguiding circles — but it holds a particularly special place in the hearts of Burley-in-Wharfedale Guiding members. Our history with Waddow stretches right back to its very beginning.

In 1927, Waddow Hall was purchased by Girlguiding and officially opened with a special ceremony led by members from Burley-in-Wharfedale. The unit’s leader, Anne Shepherd, wrote and directed a play for the occasion, performed by Brownies, Guides and Rangers. In the play, Anne took the role of a blacksmith who forged a key for Waddow Hall’s front door from a Brownie badge. She handed the key to the Fairy — the Spirit of Waddow — who then presented it to Princess Mary, the Princess Royal of Harewood House. Princess Mary used the key to unlock the door of Waddow Hall, declaring, “This Happy House Shall Never Fall.”

For almost a century, Waddow Hall remained under Girlguiding ownership. In 2024, it was purchased by the GT Foundation, which pledged to continue running it as an activity and camping centre for all young members of the community.

In September 2025, Waddow Hall was joyfully reopened — and once again, members of Burley-in-Wharfedale Girlguiding were honoured to take part in the ceremony, “Back to Waddow.” Following the tradition of 1927, Burley members took on the leading roles. A Guide from 1st Burley-in-Wharfedale Guides represented the Spirit of Waddow, joined by Brownies from 1st and 2nd Burley. The Brownies donated their promise badges to create a new key, allowing the Spirit to unlock Waddow’s door once more.

It was a proud and historic moment for Guiding in Burley-in-Wharfedale — one that marks the beginning of another chapter in our shared story with Waddow Hall. Brownies, Guides, and Leaders are all looking forward to returning to Waddow for camps, pack holidays, and adventure days once again!

The Burley in Wharfedale Scouts and Guides AGM was held on 30th June 2025

The chair opened the meeting by thanking all executive members and leaders for their support over the last year. Both Scouting and Guiding units have been very busy of the past year and all groups go from strength to strength. Specific reports that were presented are attached here

Chair’s address AGM 2025

Group Guide Leader Report May 2025

Finance Report 2024-25

There’s a fantastic opportunity at Reva scout sailing centre for anyone interested in water sports. Reva is a 10 acre reservoir close to Hawksworth near Ilkley Moor.

Yorkshire water have generously leased this reservoir for scout watersports activities and there is a superb clubhouse, changing rooms, lecture rooms, kitchen and activity room. There is also a bo’sun store and storage for all sorts of watersports equipment. The centre is generously provisioned with all types of boats, sailing dinghies, kayaks, canoes and safety boats. It really is a dream facility for anyone keen on watersports and a brilliant asset for the scout Association and for all local scout groups.

Unfortunately, we are missing one crucial ingredient. We urgently need lots more volunteers to enable more scouts to be able to enjoy these adventurous sports. So this is a plea to anyone associated, or not currently associated, with scout groups in Bradford, Keighley, Wharfedale, and neighbouring districts who has any watersports skills to step forward and help out with providing sessions for Scouts in this area.

For anyone who may be interested, there is refresher, training and instructor training to get any volunteers up to standard, and used to the equipment. This training will take place on the following dates.

24th of March 2024.

28th of April 2024.

26th of May 2024.

For anyone, without any previous watersports experience, your assistance would also be appreciated, we hope to organise some training for you later in the year.

So if you or a friend or relative know how to sail, kayak, paddleboard, canoe, bellboat , raft or drive a power boat then we’d love to hear from you.

Please contact Antony Cam on antonycam@gmail.com or leave a message on (07484) 705167 to chat about your skills or book in for the refresher training.

Being part of the local community is an important aspect of Scouting and Guiding in Burley. It was enormously rewarding to see last year’s donations shared between the Scouts & Guides as well as two local charities in order to spread some Christmas cheers and help those less fortunate than ourselves.

We hope this year will be just as successful and we are pleased to reveal Santa’s schedule for this year’s tour of Burley

Santa’s elves will NOT be knocking on doors this year so please look/listen out for us

Sunday 10^th December

From 4pm – Endor Cr, Holme Grove, Hill Cr, Sandholme Dr, St Michaels Way, Prospect Rd, St Philips, Norwood, Fenton, Lawn, Grangefield

Wednesday 13^th December

From 6pm – Sun Lane, Mansfield Rd, Wrexham Rd, Greenhow, Hall Dr, Southfield Rd, Copse, Langford Rd, West View, Aireville

Thursday 14^th December

From 6pm – Midgley Rd, Manse Rd, Station Rd, Long Meadows Estate, Main St, Wellfield

Friday 15^th December

6pm – 7pm – Scalebor

Any donations will be given to Scouts and Guides

Ways to Donate

We will have a bucket for cash donations, but you can also donate by text

• Text BURLEYSANTA to 70450 to donate £2

Texts cost £2 plus one standard rate message

• Please gift aid if you can

Ways to Donate

We will have a bucket for cash donations, but you can also donate by text

• Text BURLEYSANTA to 70450 to donate £2

Texts cost £2 plus one standard rate message

• Please gift aid if you can

The Big Help Out is a campaign to showcase how volunteering benefits both communities and the people who take part.On bank holiday Monday as part of the Big Help Out, Burley-in-Wharfedale Rainbows, Brownies Guides, Rangers and Leaders had a great time and a lot of fun celebrating the Coronation.

They enjoyed a picnic and did several crafts – making crowns, bracelets and bookmarks, & they played games such as pin the tail on the corgi.  A Coronation photo frame was very popular!  The girls watched the Coronation concert on the big screen whilst enjoying their picnics. A Pimms mocktail was offered for those brave enough to try it.

The highlight of the event was decorating plant pots and potting up plants to give to on local residents by putting them on door steps as ‘a random act of kindness’.  The girls loved doing this!

Sue Vint, Wharfedale Division Commissioner, 1st Burley-in-Wharfedale Guides said: “We would love to know where the plants end up”.

Since Monday, several recipients have contacted us thanking so much for the pretty flowerpot that was left outside their door.  They said it was lovely thought and very kind. The very fact of an unexpected gift gave people so much pleasure and the way in which it was so sweetly given, added to the joy.

The Big Help Out is not for one day only. Burley Scouts and Guides offer everyone the opportunity lend a hand all year round. If you have an hour – fantastic. If you want to do something regular, there’s an opportunity for you!