Diversity and inclusion at Girlguiding Scotland

We want everyone involved in Girlguiding to have a great experience, so it’s important we make sure all our groups and activities are safe, friendly and welcoming for everyone. 

Adjustment plans help us to remove or significantly reduce the barriers disabled people can face. When we remove these barriers, disabled people can be included, have independence, choice and control. Find out more about how to complete an adjustment plan in 7 steps.

We want to support our members to celebrate and attend Pride events across Scotland. Find out more about Pride events in 2025, check out our volunteer resource and order your Pride event kit here!

Read about ways to celebrate different religious holidays from Girlguiding’s faith and inclusion specialist and find links to information about what you can do to include girls of all faiths and none in guiding.

Here you will find lots of ideas and activities for making sure everyone is included at your unit meetings.

Being inclusive is one of our core values. We recognise it isn’t enough to not be racist, we must be actively anti-racist. There are resources and support available on Girlguiding’s website design to encourage units to talk about race and racism.

We all have mental health – take a look at this page for some inspiration on promoting positive mental wellbeing for yourself and your unit.

Find out more about visible and facial differences, and their impact.

Here are some ways you can make guiding more accessible for disabled members.

Get more information on autism and how to help members who have it feel more included.

Children in care are sometimes known as a ‘Looked After Children’ (LAC) in Scotland. Young people can be in the care system for a lot of different reasons and there is more than 1 type of care system. For some general advice on supporting care experienced young people in your units click the link below. If you are looking for more information and resources on care experienced people check out the Who Cares? Scotland website.

Down’s Syndrome (sometimes called Down Syndrome) is a genetic condition that is normally recognised as a learning disability. Down’s Syndrome Scotland have lots of useful resources on preferred language, raising awareness and explaining Down’s Syndrome to children on their website. To visit their resource library click the link below. 

Take a look at this section for more information on refugees, asylum seekers and how you can support them.

Find out more about including and supporting LGBTQ+ members.

With the ongoing cost of living crisis, we are likely to see many more people across the UK struggling to pay their bills or living in poverty. Although it’s a difficult time, there are some things you can do to support girls in your unit.

Dyslexia is a neurological difference that can impact a lot of different areas of someone’s life. It affects the way someone processes information and is most commonly associated with difficulty reading and writing. People with Dyslexia are often great at things like problem solving and thinking creatively. If you want to learn more about Dyslexia then take a look at Dyslexia Scotland’s website through the link below. They have heaps of helpful resources and leaflets about Dyslexia and support for adults and young people.

There are lots of different reasons why someone might end up in prison, so it’s important not to make any judgements and remember that it isn’t a reflection of the young person in your unit. Find out more here about supporting members impacted by crime or with imprisoned family.