To wonder what the future of Girlguiding is.

[Skippythebeercan]

I have run a Brownie unit for many years, and have seen the decline of Girlguding, we have lost so many units and leaders to the point locally our organisation is probably less than half the size it was 10 years ago and is going to shrink again with the loss of more leaders and therefore units imminently. There is a huge disconnect between national Girlguiding leadership and grass roots guiding.

I now wonder what the future holds for the organisation, I personally value the girl only space and think it is important for girls to have this. But, I can see that being lost. A friend suggests she thinks we may start to admit boys and loose our single sex status, I personally think that we may end up merging with the Scouts - both organisations have their differences but do share a founder and many fundamentals, plus I do think each organisation could learn something from the other.

I would be interested in other views on how the organisation may evolve - it may well disappear altogether - possibly sooner rather than later.

I am hoping this thread doesn't become about the trans issue, I appreciate it is divisive but there are other threads. Law suits and this very issue have certainly contributed to Girlguiding's significant image problem on both side of the argument, but there are plenty of other threads about this issue.

I would say the popularity or lack of it of any youth activity is always about the leaders - any external issue will barely register.

My eldest is about to move from Brownies to Girl Guides, its been great for her and its made a massive difference to her confidence, its a place she can go and do the things that interest her (baking/crafting/games) but with no pressure, her school have been awful at providing school trips but through Brownies shes been on loads of trips including overnight stays. It's really popular in our area there's a waiting list to get in so I think it must vary a lot from place to place

I asked if they needed volunteers but they don’t- they have enough volunteers. My daughter is waiting until she’s 12 to join cadets but the local Scout group is thriving. Her friend does it and they do loads of fun stuff

I think this is probably not typical, although does sometimes happen. There will always be some units that are struggling to get enough girls, possibly due to the enthusiasm of the leaders, or the location, but generally there is a high demand. Nationally, it appears there are over 50 000 girls on waiting lists.

Massive waiting lists around here to the point girls are ageing out of sections before getting off the waiting list.

There's a huge expectation from some parents that other parents take on the big commitment of being a Guider to keep a unit going while refusing to do it themselves or even help out as Parent Helpers. They 'don't have the time' but expect someone else to do it.

And Girl Guiding were using an exemption for Clubs and Associations in the EQA2010 to claim to be a single sex organisation in order to set their membership as 'only for girls'....while actually admitting boys. They've been forced (reluctantly) to follow the law. If they want to be 'inclusive' to boys, then they'll have to (openly) become a mixed sex organisation and lose their USP.

You missed the point. Many PP
on here have said lack of support from above has been why they have left - the lack of support is due to the HQ being distracted by pushing ideological issues rather than proper management.

I would love to volunteer, my gran and mum was leaders and were involved regionally and nationally. But I just don’t have the time/head space. I think partly so many women are now working full time in challenging jobs and then caring for children/parents etc it’s harder to find the time.

I work full time, have two teens (one autistic) and I’m a single/co-parent. My job means overnight stays occasionally and some late working, so I just can’t commit and I’m just knackered all the time.

I think it is lack of leaders and volunteers that will be the end of it

The difference between Scouts and Guides fir Trans inclusion...

Scouts is set up to understand the safeguarding required for mixed sex groups. We know we need separate changing, private toilets etc.
Guides were pretending the issues don't exist. Let's face it... most of us don't want teen girls and boys in showers, tents etc together. The reason why doesn't disappear just because an individual identifies more with the opposite sex.

May I ask what you think the biggest issues are?

Does the Scouts have the same issue with finding volunteers?

You missed the point. Many PP
on here have said lack of support from above has been why they have left - the lack of support is due to the HQ being distracted by pushing ideological issues rather than proper management

I'm not sure I have missed the point. If lack of support from GG HQ is due to being distracted, why is this also happening in Scouts? Leader retention in scouts is a constant battle, and many cite one of the problems as lack of support from HQ - yet they are not distracted by the same 'ideological issues'.

I don't doubt that a few guide leaders have left over these issues, but I'm not convinced it's the huge problem it's made out to be.

I think so in my area.

Scouts are mixed sex.

Why did they do that?

Yes, absolutely. It's a big problem in Scouts. I think all kids clubs have this issue - including sports clubs, youth clubs, Boys Brigade etc. Parents all want their kids to do these clubs, but not enough are willing (or able) to step up to help.

That's what you see on this thread? It sounds like kids want this stuff as much as ever, but col and the trans fiasco have harmed guides a lot .

My daughter found it boring and old fashioned. They were doing things like beetle drives. But the fun activities like baking, bonfires she loved, trouble was there wasn’t enough of that to lad it fun enough for her

That's awful. Esp as a lot of these families are probably under stress with the current political situation...

Safeguarding is key though given what has in the past happened in the Scouts...

I think paid workers may have to be the way to go.

I get thinking 1 well behaved trans Brownie is ok- but how would tents on trips etc work? It wouldn't...

Yes, I'm aware. I just trying to say (perhaps explaining badly) that leader recruitment and retention seems to be common across all youth groups, regardless of their trans ideology. I just don't think it's the trans issue that's causing a lack of volunteers in Guiding (at least, it's not having a significant effect).

I think the main thing will be the lack of volunteers - everyone wants their kids to attend, waiting lists are ridiculous round here, but no one wants to give up the time. I volunteered every week at my DD’s rainbows group years ago because otherwise it would have had to close. I did that because I wanted her to go to it, when we left the group closed - none of the other parents were willing even to do a twice a year rotation.

I like GG as an all girls space, my DD is also at an all girls school. But I (and she) hated what they’ve done with the trans issue recently when they excluded trans women/girls.

My main reason for leaving though was not being able to exclude any child, even though parents were not giving me the full picture of issues.

• can I ask if this was trans issues? Or something else?

Believe me when I say, nobody has beef with the trans fiasco more than I do. But most people, still, are at best only dimly aware of this issue. You might be right. I think the col has a fair amount more to do with it.

But boys cannot be girls. How is it an all girls space if they are included? They should go to Scouts.

My daughter found it boring and old fashioned. They were doing things like beetle drives

Just shows that everyone is different - our cubs love a beetle drive!

Yes, col definitely. I think people do want to do this stuff, it's just a matter of time, energy, money etc