Guides is open to any girls aged ten to 14. Girls take part in a wide range of activities from adventure sports to fun games, and from taking part in community action projects to the performing arts.

Being a Guide is all about belonging to a group, learning new skills, making new friends and helping others. Each Guide is encouraged to achieve her own personal goals through a progressive programme. Girls can extend their knowledge and skills by working towards Guide interest badges covering many different hobbies and activities from Interpreter to World cultures. They can also gain Challenge badges that recognise their participation in Guiding over a period of time. The badges build towards the Baden-Powell Challenge Award, named in honour of the founder of Guiding.

Guides work together in Patrols, groups of four to eight girls, and, with the support of an adult Leader, choose and run some of the activities themselves using Go for it! resource packs.

Guide Programme

The Guide programme is divided into five areas:

Discovery: we encourage Guides to undertake challenges and push the boundaries of their experience. This could involve outdoor activities such as climbing or canoeing, learning a new skill, taking part in a project to benefit their community, or even visiting one of our World Centres in places as far off as India or Mexico.

Healthy lifestyles: we promote physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing by informing girls about healthy eating and exercise, and raising awareness of issues such as body image, alcohol and drugs. Global awareness: we encourage girls to be active global citizens by raising their awareness of world issues such as development and climate change, and by providing opportunities for them to travel and meet members from overseas.

Skills and relationships: we aim to increase girls' self-confidence and improve their inter-personal and life skills. Our activities foster communication, team work, decision-making, and respect for the views and values of others.

Celebrating diversity: we are an inclusive organisation and aim to raise girls' awareness of issues such as gender stereotyping, discrimination and disability rights. We celebrate and promote understanding of different cultures and foster cross-community links

Are you a Guide? Then visit Girlguiding UK's Guide website

If you are a parent/guardian who would like to enrol your child into Guides, please fill out the Girlguiding UK Joining Form to find out more about Guiding and get in touch with a local unit.