Girlguiding UK are revolutionising the activities and badges that can be achieved in a bid to modernise Rainbows, Brownies and Guides.
In the biggest ever overhaul, Girlguiding are bringing their activities ‘bang up to date’, and could give girls the opportunity to learn about coding, space, entrepreneurship and speaking out.
The charity has always taken a stand against gender stereotypes and past badges have included air mechanic, electrician, telegraphist and radio communicator.
As part of the overhaul, Girlguiding UK is calling upon girls to put forward their new badge and activity ideas. Over 15,000 girls have been involved in putting forward and testing new ideas so far.
Grace, 9, said, “I would create the Inventor Badge because someone might have a really good invention and then maybe it could be used to help people in the future.”
Elena, 17, said, “A Chemist Badge would be brilliant as girls could find out about acids and alkalis and have a go at conducting experiments. It would be a fantastic way to engage girls in chemistry.”
Girlguiding are also asking people outside of the guiding community to get involved on social media by posting their ideas for the badge they would create for today’s girls using the hashtag #BadgeGoals.
The charity has also received a number of suggestions from inspiring celebrities including Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle.
She said, “My #BadgeGoal is a Resilience Badge, to give girls the chance to build their mental wellbeing and learn how to cope with the stresses of everyday life.”
“I know from experience resilience is such a valuable skill and it has helped me in different situations, from handling the pressures of competing in gymnastic to dealing with the demands of daily life.”
“A Resilience Badge would help to tackle the stigma around mental health from a young age by empowering girls to talk confidently about these issues and equipping them with the skills they need to be resilient throughout their lives.”
