Guides ready to move with times

Vlogging and app design could soon mean new awards to be earned

Decades ago, girl guides learned about being an air mechanic or electrician, now 21st Century youngsters could soon be finding out about vlogging or app design.

Girlguiding has announced a major revamp of its “badges” programme – the different activities that guides take part in – in a bid to bring them up to date for today’s young women and girls.

The organisation is asking the public to use social media to suggest the badges they would create using the hashtag #BadgeGoals. The ideas will be considered during the development of the final badges.

So far, around 15,000 girls have been involved in putting forward and testing ideas such as app design, vlogging, chemist, be yourself, festival goer, space, costume design, entrepreneurship, upcycling and speaking out.

The new activities and badges will be set around six themes – skills for my future, have adventures, be well, know myself, express myself and take action, and the programme will first be launched in summer 2018.

Badges for girls in the past included air mechanic (1910s), electrician (1930s), telegraphist (1930s) and radio communicator (1980s).

Gymnast Beth Tweddle, one of a number of women to be given a Girlguiding “I give girls a voice” badge, said she would create a resilience badge.

“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 gymnastics to dealing with the demands of daily life,” she said.

“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.”