Girlguides launch world-wide community action project
Joanna Rossiter
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
"Girlguiding UK: Changing the World" was launched today by Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex at the Southbank Centre.
The community action challenge is the largest project of its kind to be undertaken by the Guides. The scheme gives its 575, 000 members the opportunity to support a wide range of worthwhile causes: from tacking climate change and bullying to building a girls’ school in Liberia.
Organisers have teamed up with 19 charities, including Unicef UK, WaterAid and Friends of the Earth. Each of these partner organisations has created an individual project for the Girlguides to participate in over the course of the year.
The activities that the girls will take on range from raising money and raising awareness to getting involved directly. Girls will be given the choice over which projects they take part in and will be awarded a Changing the World badge to mark their involvement and achievements over the year.
Girlguiding UK hopes that over 25, 000 Rainbow, Brownie, Guide and Senior Section groups– enough girls to fill 7,200 double decker buses – will get involved in the scheme.
Chief Guide Liz Burnley said: Guiding today is all about empowering girls and young women to make the best decisions for them and their communities. By working together with our world-class partners, our half-a-million young members will have the chance to make a real difference to the world around them and have an amazing experience at the same time.
