A RAINBOW group which was one of the very first to form has been saved from closure.

The Silchester Rainbows announced that it would be closing in the summer because the two people who run the group are leaving.

But following a campaign to try and find new leaders, three have now come forward so the club can continue in the next academic year.

Michelle Trevena, district leader for the Silchester and Tadley area, said: “We were worried about having to close.

“The two leaders that are running it now are stepping down in the summer because of family commitments.

“We knew at Easter they were going to finish.”

She said the 12 girls in the Silchester Rainbows would have been transferred to other units, but it would have meant closing a club that has been running for 28 years.

It was one of the very first groups to be formed in the country after Rainbows was introduced by the Girl Guiding Association in 1987, for five-to-seven-year-olds girls.

Mrs Trevena said: “We didn’t want to lose it because it’s been running for so long. It would have been a last resort. It was one of the originals.

“It’s such a great place. It’s a girl-only space and they do all sorts of things. There’s crafts and they get out and about and make new friends.”

The names of the three new leaders are yet to be announced, as they are still going through the necessary checks.

But they are due to take over in September.

Mrs Trevena said it is often difficult to recruit new volunteers, adding: “It’s like anything with volunteers it’s asking people to give up their time. We are really lucky this time.

“One of the ladies has previously been involved in Guiding. I was so surprised about having three people getting in touch. It’s really good news.”