UK Parliament Week is an annual event in November, spreading the word about what Parliament is, what it does and how you can get involved. There are loads of ways to celebrate – mock debates, quizzes, creating petitions or even meeting your local Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). We caught up with a couple of units from Glasgow who recently had their local MP for a visit!

City of Glasgow’s 263^rd Rainbows, Brownies and Guides recently had the honour of welcoming their Member of Parliament (MP) Patricia Ferguson for a special visit.

Ms Ferguson was enthusiastically greeted by the girls and leaders and given a tour of the space before spending time with each unit individually. The girls were eager to talk to Ms Ferguson and proudly share some of the badges they had achieved and others they had been working on. Ms Ferguson even joined in with a few activities, including the Guides’ mixology badge.

Speaking about the visit, unit leader Tracy said, “It was wonderful to see our young members confidently explaining the significance of their badges and how each one represents a personal achievement.”

One of the highlights of the evening was when the girls had the opportunity to ask Ms Ferguson questions about her role as an MP. Ms Ferguson talked about what working in politics was like and encouraged the girls to always stand up for what they believe in. Then, to their surprise, Ms Ferguson revealed that they used to be a member of Girlguiding when they were younger and shared some memories of the much-loved Glasgow county campsite.

At the end of their visit, Ms Ferguson praised the unit for the way it empowers girls and young women. She promised to talk about the important work Girlguiding Scotland does in Parliament which will help raise awareness of the positive impact youth organisations like ours have across the country.

Tracy shared, “We’re incredibly proud of our girls for representing our units with such confidence and enthusiasm, and we’re grateful to Ms Ferguson for taking the time to visit. It was a memorable evening that reminded us all of the power of community and the voices of young people.”

Why not organise for your local decision makers to come along to your unit, talk to the girls and see what Girlguiding is all about? You can look up the contact details of your MSP here or your MP here, just send them an email and let them know you’d like to arrange a visit and what for, eg support with a badge, give out awards or to learn more about what they do. 

We’d love to hear from you if you do arrange have a visit from your local decision makers! Send us an email on marketing@girlguiding-scot.org.uk.