Girl Guide power: Modernisation drive pays off as membership soars

Girlguiding membership in the UK has been boosted by one member every hour in the past year after the organisation took the leap and created new courses like circus skills and pop music studies to update its 100-year image.

New figures released today showed that 538,247 girls are fully enrolled in the Rainbows for ages five to seven, Brownies for ages seven to ten and Guides for for ages ten to 14 - up from 530,000 l

ast year.

Recently the volunteer organisation has introduced a host of new courses to run alongside its more traditional pursuits, so that now as well as sewing and sailing, girls can also analyse pop lyrics and learn how to walk a tightrope.

Added to this it costs little to join because of the way the organisation is funded - meaning for many families in recession-hit Britain it's a more affordable option than most after-school activities.

Chief Guide Gill Slocombe said, "Guiding remains one of the only spaces where girls and young women can be adventurous, learn new skills, have their opinions heard and gain leadership skills outside of school, without feeling they have to conform to a set of narrow stereotypes.


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"Guiding also offers our young members some amazing experiences, from the excitement of their first Brownie campout to working in countries such as The Gambia and Honduras on international development projects. With opportunities like this it is no wonder girls are voting with their feet and joining us."

Philippa Wingate, Publishing Director of Buster Books, who published the popular Girls Book series, said: "It is a great environment for girls to get together in, and has given many generations of girls valuable skills which they will come back to throughout their lives.

"I was a Brownie guide and there were certainly valuable lessons about responsibility and team work that I took on board - and I am still uncannily good at tying knots."

Were you in the Girl Guides? What are your memories of this British institution? Let us know by leaving a comment below...