Please helpus keep going
Brownies and Rainbows issue a plea for new leaders in order for group to survive
A group of bothered Burnside Brownies and Rainbows have issued an urgent plea for new Brown Owls – or they’ll be forced to close by Christmas.
Burnside Blairbeth Brownies have been active in the area since 1930, bringing through generations of youngsters.
Now both the Brownies and the Rainbows group for five to seven-year-olds are facing the chop – unless they can find replacement volunteers.
A group of Brownies and Rainbows have issued a plea for new Brown Owls – or they will be forced to close by Christmas.
Burnside Blairbeth Brownies have been active in the area since 1930, bringing through generations of youngsters.
A Rainbow group for five to sevenyear-olds started in the area in 1988, but now both are facing the chop, with current volunteers set to stand down from their roles over the coming months, and no replacements lined up.
Katy Fullarton is a guide leader with the Second Bankhead Brownies, and she is hopeful that someone will step forward to help their sister Burnside branch, which is for girls aged seven-10.
She said: “It’s just unfortunate and it’s getting a bit desperate now.
“We’ve been trying to get new leaders and helpers throughout the whole Rutherglen area and these units can’t run without any volunteers – the Brownies will have to close at the Christmas break and the Rainbows will have to close in the spring.
“It will be really upsetting to see them close because groups like the Brownies can be so positive for girls.
“They learn stuff working with us that has a big effect, and I know the benefits it can have – you see the girls grow in confidence when they’re here and they get the chance to explore doing new things.”
There are currently around 20 Brownies and about 20 Rainbows that attend the Burnside group, who meet on Tuesday nights at the Burnside Blairbeth church.
Should they close, the girls could move to other Brownie groups in the area, but that would create the possibility of those groups having too many youngsters, meaning they would need extra volunteers also.
Katy stressed that anyone who got involved volunteering would be given plenty of support.
She added: “You need energy and enthusiasm, but we provide training facilities and programmes that would give guidance on what to do.
“If you want to get involved with a friend and tag team it then that can be done as well.
“It’s great fun because it gives you the chance to do so many things – I’ve ended up on zip lines, climbing walls and things like that, and it’s great to support the girls.
“For anyone who is looking to work as a teacher it’s a fantastic opportunity, or if they are looking to gain a Duke of Edinburgh award, or a Saltire award.”
Anyone interested can register via www.girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved or e-mail RutherglenDivisionGirlGuiding@gmail.com for more details.