GUIDES

Girlguiding UK (formerly the Guide Association) is the UK's largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women. There are nearly 700,000 members in the UK, with over 10 million members in 136 countries worldwide. At age eight, 31% of the female population of the UK are members of Girlguiding UK.

Girlguiding UK aims to provide a safe space for girls to develop, whilst offering them the chance to make new friends and take part in a wide range of activities and programmes.

The organisation is divided according to age:

The official Girlguiding UK website has information on how to join and on what being a member entails and enables you to download Guiding publications. It has links to other guiding sites and you can even buy your child’s guiding uniform online.

Girlguiding UK
17-19 Buckingham Palace Road,
London SW1W 0PT
Tel:
Fax:
E-mail (membership enquiries): join.us
Recruitment hotline - Freephone -

SCOUTS

The Scout Association has approximately 477,000 members in the UK and nearly 25 million members in 216 countries worldwide. In 1991 it was decided that all sections of the Scouting movement should beto both boys and girls. Each unit decides individually whether or not to be mixed gender, but once it has made the choice to accept girls, the unit is unable to reverse this decision. 

Joining the Scout Association gives your child a chance to make new friends and take part in a wide range of activities, programmes and outdoor pursuits. 

The organisation is divided according to age:

ScoutBase UK is the official website of the Scout Association - a mine of information for wannabe scouts and their parents. It provides details of each section of the association, activities on offer and a library including information on the history of the movement, a range of factsheets and accounts of Scout activity around the world.

Scout Association HQ
Gilwell Park
Chingford
London E4 7QW
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail: info.centre

Both the Guide and the Scout Associations welcome disabled members.

ADULT INVOLVEMENT

Adults wanting to become involved with the Guides or the Scouts will have to undergo a confidential enquiry procedure. Two independent references must be provided and verified, and a check will be made with the criminal records bureaux before an applicant is accepted.

Guides: Women between the ages of 18 and 65 can become Guiders – volunteer leaders trained to help the girls and young women who join the association. Women can volunteer as long as they are willing to make the Guide promise and undertake the necessary training. You do not have to have been a member of the organisation as a child to be involved as an adult. 

The alternative to becoming a Guider is to offer your services as a unit helper. These are friends of a unit who are willing to help in some way, such as running craft sessions or doing the accounts. Helpers are not obliged to wear uniform. Men are welcomed as unit helpers.

You can find more information on how to become involved with a guide group on the Girlguiding UK website. The adult section includes an online application form. Contact details are listed above.

Scouts: There are many ways for adults to participate in the Scout Movement. Over 100,000 adults are regularly involved in the UK as members of the Association and an estimated one million take part in a less regular way. From the age of 16 years you can take on a variety of roles:

Leader (aged 18-65)
Management (aged 21-65)
Instructor (aged 16-65)
Administrator (aged 18+)
Committee Member (aged 18+)
Supporters and helpers (aged 18+)

More details on how to become involved with a scout group can be found on the Scout Association website. The online application form has a section for adults and a link to further information. Contact details are listed above.

For more information about what’s going on in your area, visit your Local Authority’s website. It can provide details on activities, attractions and services available to you and your family.