Girlguiding Scotland enjoyed a roar-some weekend on safari!
Over 7,000 young people and volunteers from across Scotland took a walk on the wild side at the weekend after descending on Blair Drummond Safari Park!
The 2-day exclusive takeover from Girlguiding Scotland saw Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers enjoy a roar-some weekend of fun and adventure in the biggest girl event the charity has run since Wander the World in 2022. They were able to see lions, giraffes and monkeys up close on safari, enjoy bouncy inflatables and an eco village and even take part in football sessions to win prizes with McDonald’s Fun Football.
A Brownie from 9th Renfrew Brownies was asked what her favourite animals were and she said: “Lions and tigers and giraffes and penguins. I like how they’re all moving around and sleeping.” Alison McAuley, a volunteer with 9th Renfrew Brownies, said: “It’s been such a joy to see all the animals and for some girls it’s the first time they’ve seen some of these animals. It’s been a magical day! It’s important for the younger Brownies especially those who only started in the last few weeks and know that there’s more Brownies than just them.”
1st Strichen Guides and 2nd Hawick Guides were supported to attend Roar and Explore through the Scottish Government-funded Generation CashBack programme. A Guide from 2nd Hawick Guides said: “I like the monkeys because they jumped on top of the bus on safari.”
A Guide from 5th Bonnyrigg Guides said: “It’s absolutely amazing here and I can’t pick a favourite because all the animals are cute and fluffy and even the scary ones are cool!” Another Guide from the Bonnyrigg unit added: “I liked seeing the ants even though they’re probably not popular, but I find them so interesting doing their collecting and carrying their food.”
One Rainbow from 1st Inverkeithing Rainbows was excited as she was able to see a “real life elephant”.
Volunteers were also able to join in on the fun. Stacey McKay, a volunteer from 5th Bonnyrigg Guides, said: “Events like this are important for the girls to physically see the number of other girls in guiding in the thousands. The best part of today is being able to just book my bus and come, everything is organised, the event is on, and the girls are safe. It’s an enjoyable day out for the leaders too!”
Elaine Rough, Scottish chief commissioner, said: “Our 2-day exclusive takeover of Blair Drummond Safari Park was a roaring success and our girls and volunteers enjoyed a brilliant time seeing the animals and learning all about conservation. Roar and Explore is just one example of the amazing offering at Girlguiding Scotland. We encourage girls to be bold, explore and have fun – and I think they did just that at Blair Drummond!”
