GUIDING MOVEMENT STILL RELEVANT AFTER 100 YEARS

Girl Guides at Battersea Park in 916

Sunday September 6,2009

By Liz Burnley

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HAVING spent the past 100 years empowering young women, the Guiding movement remains as relevant today as it was in the 20th century. The answer to its enduring reach is in the motto: Girls In The Lead. Guiding helps build self-confidence and gives young women the abilities and belief they need to succeed in whatever they choose to do in life.

The difference that Guiding can make is immense. There is no comparable organisation of the size and reach in this country which provides a safe, female-only space for girls and young women at the most formative stage of their lives.

When I recall the first unit I led in Derbyshire in the Eighties, I think of 14-year-old Becky. She had never been away from home but nervously took part in a Guides trip to Sweden. Becky discovered she was a natural at watersports and now works as an instructor, opening up those same opportunities she had to other girls.

There are thousands of Beckys who have benefited from experiences they have had Guiding over the past century. Whether as Rainbows (age five to seven), Brownies (seven to 10), Guides (10 to 14), or in the Senior Section (14 to 25), Guiding has always challenged its members to broaden their horizons.

Guiding was ground-breaking from its very inception. In September 1909, Sir Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to set up “something for the girls”. Agnes, a true leader, dealt deftly with public disquiet that girls going camping was unseemly and unsuitable at a time when simply running or raising their arms met with disapproval. Guiding was born.

As a Guide myself, I loved the chance to cook on a fire and sleep under the stars with my friends. When I was a Ranger, my team took part in an “incident hike”, where you had to navigate and deal with surprise challenges along your route. We got lost, sank our makeshift raft and scared ourselves abseiling over a cliff but we felt the most fantastic sense of achievement when we got back to base and relived our experiences over endless mugs of tea.

OVER the summer, Girlguiding UK has taken 135,000 girls into the wild, whether cooking breakfast in a field in the UK, attending an international camp or spending the weekend at an outdoor pursuits centre. We have members in inner cities, in rural areas, affluent regions and those which are deprived. While at camp, they all meet, mingle and make friends.

Although today’s world is one of unparalleled opportunities for young women, it is also one in which they face many challenges. Pressure to look and behave a certain way can erode self-esteem; inequalities in the workplace and school can stifle ambitions. Rather than criticise and stereotype, Guiding supports and involves young women in a community.

We’ve found that peer pressure among girls is paramount in shaping their views. That’s why we’ve developed our own peer education programme to train women age 14 to 25 to lead discussions on sensitive issues. By sharing knowledge in this way we find girls inspire each other. Girlguiding UK’s female-only environment is one where young women can grow in confidence, share their feelings, form strong friendships and know their voices will be heard. The best role models for girls are those who take a lead to make a difference. Guiding has a strong track record in doing just that.

As we look ahead to the next 100 years, we are certain that the movement will continue to be relevant. What will never change is the unique space it provides for girls to have fun.

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