Girlguiding | |||
---|---|---|---|
Headquarters | London | ||
Country | United Kingdom | ||
Founded | 1910 | ||
Founder | Robert Baden-Powell; Agnes Baden-Powell | ||
Membership | 553,633 (at 31 December 2013) |
||
Chief Guide | Valerie Le Vaillant (28 May 2016–9 March 2017) | ||
Chief Executive | Julie Bentley | ||
President | Sophie, Countess of Wessex | ||
Patron | Queen Elizabeth II | ||
Affiliation | World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts | ||
|
|||
Website www |
|||
Girlguiding is the operating name of The Guide Association, previously named The Girl Guides Association and is the national guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. It is the UK's largest girl-only youth organisation. Girlguiding is a charitable organisation.
Within Girlguiding, participants take on adventurous activities, such as climbing, canoeing, sailing and orienteering and have the opportunity to get involved in camps and international events, including girl-only festivals and overseas development projects. In local groups – called 'units' - girls complete badges and challenges that cover topics from circus skills, stargazing and scientific investigation, to first aid, camping and community action.
Each year, the organisation publishes the Girls' Attitudes Survey, which surveys the views of girls and young women on topics such as body image, career aspirations and mental health. Girlguiding is also a campaigning organisation, having supported the No More Page 3 campaign and lobbied the government on sexual harassment in schools, women's political representation and media sexism.
Guiding began in the UK in 1910, when Robert Baden-Powell, founder of The Boy Scouts Association, established a separate organisation for girls. The Guide Association was a founding member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1928.
Girlguiding is supported by around 100,000 volunteers.
Following the origin of the Boy Scouts in 1907 many girls took up Scouting. In 1909, a number of girls appeared at a Boy Scout Rally in Crystal Palace Park, dressed as Girl Scouts and declaring themselves to be 'Girl Scouts' The girls told Robert Baden Powell that they wanted 'to do the same thing as the boys'. Guiding was introduced to respond to the demand.
In 1910 Robert Baden-Powell formed the Girl Guides and asked his sister Agnes to look after the Girl Guides organisation. A few years later Baden-Powell's new wife Olave became involved and, in 1918, was appointed Chief Guide.