Birk Crag Centre is a training, activity and residential centre owned by Girlguiding North Yorkshire West. 

It provides a modern, multi-purpose and environmentally friendly base for Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers, Young Leaders, Leaders and Helpers on a weekly basis, as well as residential facilities for unit holidays, sleepovers, weekend and day events together with evening and weekend training courses.

Additionally, we look forward to welcoming members of our local community into the re-built Centre for activities and meetings.

The former centre was a popular favourite with local units from our County and those travelling from further afield including other Counties, inner city areas and international visitors. 

Many visitors enjoyed the semi-rural setting of Birk Crag for a weekend away from the pressures of day-to-day life, getting to know peers and friends, developing practical new skills and growing in confidence, self-esteem and resilience.  Sadly, despite on-going maintenance the building no longer met current legislation and was demolished in 2018.

The re-built Centre will provide a Hall seating up to 120 people, Kitchen, Dining and Meeting Rooms, small Lounge, County office and Guiding Resource shop to support our members, together with 12 bedrooms including 2 accessible, providing residential accommodation for 40 people.  There is a platform lift from the Basement via the Ground Floor to the 1st Floor bedrooms making the Centre accessible to all.  Outside there will be grass and campfire areas, parking spaces and woodland trail as funds allow.

We are very grateful to everyone who has contributed and continue to fundraise to achieve the dream of so many, but we still need help please to complete the final fitting out and to enable us to welcome our members, children and adults, Scouting and local community groups to the Centre. 

We are thrilled to share that The National Lottery Community Fund approved our application and granted us funds to enable us to complete the essential works to open the Ground Floor and Basement to members and local community groups. A full press release with more information can be found here.

We continue to fundraise in as many ways as possible to complete the 1st Floor residential accommodation.  The 1^st fix electrics, radiators and plumbing are installed along with the safety systems, we have the sanitary ware for 10 of the bathrooms, the communal areas and several of the bedrooms are painted. 

Please keep coming back to our site to stay up to date with the progress of the re-building of Birk Crag Centre which we plan to re-open next month – March 2026.  For more information please contact us: birkcrag@girlguidingnyw.org.uk