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A chef and a Brown Owl combined forces to raise over £2,000 to save Clitheroe’s historic Waddow Hall.

Sharon Russell, who is the Brown Owl for the Third Trinity Brownies and Guides, arranged a fundraising meal with Tom Drinkall who is chef at the Tom’s Table bistro in Clitheroe.

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A campaign was launched in the summer to buy Waddow Hall which is one of five activity centre earmarked to be sold off by the Girlguiding Association. The Waddow Hall Trust has been set up as a charitable company with the aim of raising funds, around £5M, to buy the hall.

Sharon Russell, who is the Brown Owl for the Third Trinity Brownies and Guides, arranged a fundraising meal with Tom Drinkall who is chef at the Tom’s Table bistro in Clitheroe to help the campaign to save historic Waddow Hall in Clitheroe

News that Waddow would be sold due to the’investment needed and the reduced number of members using them in the past decade sent shockwaves throughout the community.

Sharon said: “I have been an active Guider for over 38 years and was devastated to learn of Girl Guiding HQ’s decision to sell off all five of our activity centres, especially Waddow, which has been so central to my guiding life.”

Equally as keen to preserve the hall Tom said: “I grew up living next to Waddow and have spent many happy hours playing and wandering around the estate.

“ It is vital the estate remains out of private or corporate ownership; it is part of the Ribble Valley’s heritage, and we must preserve its unique facilities for our future generations.”

Sharon and Tom’s fund raiser included a ‘blind’ auction which raised £315 thanks to prizes donated by Byrne’s Fine Wines, The Beer Shack and Tesco.

Fundraising dinner at Tom's Table bistro in Clitheroe raises £2,000 towards campaign to save Waddow Hall