IT’S a common theme in Girlguiding to make the best of what you have to hand.

Girlguiding Kidlington District has spent five years trying to raise £300,000 to rebuild its centre.

After only being able to raise just a third of that, rather than scrapping plans for a new home, the group has changed its designs.

Leaders have now turned their attention to refurbishing and extending the centre at a more affordable cost of £160,000.

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The new plans include a disabled toilet, a mezzanine sleeping area and kitchen refurbishment, rather than a full rebuild.

Team organiser Hannah Masterson said with £100,000 in the bank and £60,000 still to be found they were hopeful the revamp would soon go ahead.

The volunteer and applications supporter said that having a new sleeping area would make a vast improvement to the centre.

Mrs Masterson, who has been a volunteer with the Kidlington Guides for 14 years, said: “It means we can use it more widely “ We only have two toilets at the moment and now we will have a new disabled toilet and the kitchen will be refurbished.

“We will also be bringing our camp store inside, which means all our equipment will be more secure.

“We will have a new mezzanine sleeping area upstairs for the- Guides to stay. Sleeping over will give the girls more independence and we will be able to host camp fires outside.”

She added that an architect has already visited to design the new plans and it is hoped work could start in June if the remaining £60,000 can be raised in time, through grants, discos and bingo events.

Fundraising committee chairwoman Amanda Weller said: “Our aim is to provide a safe, inspiring and innovative environment where our young people can have fun, learn, discover and grow in to confident young women.

“After many hours of hard work, we have raised an astonishing £100,000.

“However, because of the economic climate and other factors, grant applications for ‘big’ funding to date have met with disappointing results.”