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Original poster

Girl guiding

32 replies

Chickpea17 · 03/05/2023 22:17

I have read some much about girl guiding and just not sure about sending my 5 year old daughter. It will be her first time and I'm starting to feel very uncomfortable after reading so many comments. Could some please tell what really going on with GG?
Thanks

OP posts:
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ilovewispas · 03/05/2023 22:20

Send her to Beaver scouts instead. Brilliant adventures for that age group. You need to be 6 though.

Meadowfly · 03/05/2023 22:23

It’s true that there is some nonsense from guides hq, but the local organisations - the actual groups are fantastic and on the whole run by great volunteers. How good your local unit is will depend entirely on the leader, and units are varied depending on the volunteers - word of mouth is the best way of finding out.

Gymmum82 · 03/05/2023 22:27

No idea what’s going on with HQ but as a rainbows leader I can assure you that most of us ignore the nonsense and continue to run our groups as a fun safe space for girls.
We do heaps of outdoor adventures, indoor adventures, trips, camps etc. Our girls love it

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Original poster
Chickpea17 · 03/05/2023 22:31

Gymmum82 · 03/05/2023 22:27

No idea what’s going on with HQ but as a rainbows leader I can assure you that most of us ignore the nonsense and continue to run our groups as a fun safe space for girls.
We do heaps of outdoor adventures, indoor adventures, trips, camps etc. Our girls love it

Great to hear thanks

OP posts:
Smartiepants79 · 03/05/2023 22:32

Both my girls love their guiding groups.
Have been rainbows, brownies and now guides.
My advice is to give it a go. See if it suits her and her local unit is good.

Original poster
Chickpea17 · 03/05/2023 22:33

Smartiepants79 · 03/05/2023 22:32

Both my girls love their guiding groups.
Have been rainbows, brownies and now guides.
My advice is to give it a go. See if it suits her and her local unit is good.

Thank you

OP posts:
HauntedPencil · 03/05/2023 22:35

Meadowfly · 03/05/2023 22:23

It’s true that there is some nonsense from guides hq, but the local organisations - the actual groups are fantastic and on the whole run by great volunteers. How good your local unit is will depend entirely on the leader, and units are varied depending on the volunteers - word of mouth is the best way of finding out.

Definitely agree with this, try your local group ours is very nice. The people running it probably have no idea of the HQ hoopla.

My DD likes the girls only environment tried beavers didn't like it, it's her only girl only group.

NotMyDayJob · 03/05/2023 22:38

Gymmum82 · 03/05/2023 22:27

No idea what’s going on with HQ but as a rainbows leader I can assure you that most of us ignore the nonsense and continue to run our groups as a fun safe space for girls.
We do heaps of outdoor adventures, indoor adventures, trips, camps etc. Our girls love it

This is my experience of my local rainbows group. My daughter has been going for about a year and loves it. I know there has been some controversy but our Rainbows leaders definitely run it as a safe and fun space for girls.

YnysMonCrone · 03/05/2023 22:53

I'm a girlguiding leader about to leave as I'm no longer proud to wear the badge.
I've tried to go back to grass roots guiding and try to ignore the nonsense at hq but I can't

Previous poster is right though, groups vary greatly depending on the leader, go on word of mouth, and if one group doesn't suit don't assume the next one isn't very different

CoalCraft · 04/05/2023 03:40

I found it boring, miserable and unfriendly as a child right from rainbows through to guides, but I'm sure it depends on local leaders. I won't be sending my kids unless they specifically ask to go.

Gymmum82 · 04/05/2023 07:10

CoalCraft · 04/05/2023 03:40

I found it boring, miserable and unfriendly as a child right from rainbows through to guides, but I'm sure it depends on local leaders. I won't be sending my kids unless they specifically ask to go.

Why did you stick it out for so long if you hated it so much? I had the opposite experience which is why I became a leader. I hope our group is friendly and inclusive.

CoalCraft · 04/05/2023 10:43

Gymmum82 · 04/05/2023 07:10

Why did you stick it out for so long if you hated it so much? I had the opposite experience which is why I became a leader. I hope our group is friendly and inclusive.

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At my mum's insistence! She loved being a guide and was sure I would if I just stuck with it a bit longer. I didn't. I did finally wiggle my way out of it after a year or so of guides.

Eggybrains · 06/05/2023 19:11

Gymmum82 · 03/05/2023 22:27

No idea what’s going on with HQ but as a rainbows leader I can assure you that most of us ignore the nonsense and continue to run our groups as a fun safe space for girls.
We do heaps of outdoor adventures, indoor adventures, trips, camps etc. Our girls love it

I agree with the above. The issue is, you’ve no idea if the group is being run in a safe manner (eg recruitment checks on volunteers to see if they have a criminal record - would seem a basic requirement to me) until you have been there a long time and see an issue - the issue you might end up seeing is your daughter harmed.

HQ should in my view have a duty to ensure basic systems are in place to ensure girls are kept safe but as the above poster shows, they’re so out of touch that many groups ignore them, including things to keep girls safe.

I started volunteering with the c 20 years ago. The policies were in place, and to the best of my knowledge, most people followed them. Then I saw an area of the country that I was in where keeping girls safe appeared to be viewed as an optional extra that they couldn’t be bothered with. And all HQ seemed bothered with was keeping me quiet rather than addressing the issues.

They just don’t appear to have systems in place to ensure girls are kept safe. I am immensely sad about it. The chances are your daughter will be fine and have fun, but if I were you I’d find another organisation that takes keeping children safe seriously and has systems in place to ensure that happens.

underneaththeash · 06/05/2023 19:15

Gymmum82 · 03/05/2023 22:27

No idea what’s going on with HQ but as a rainbows leader I can assure you that most of us ignore the nonsense and continue to run our groups as a fun safe space for girls.
We do heaps of outdoor adventures, indoor adventures, trips, camps etc. Our girls love it

I run one too, we do nice wholesome, adventurous activities for biological girls and ignore HQ. (apart from insurance and safeguarding).

00100001 · 06/05/2023 19:17

How many boys are there in GG?

Or is it men that are trying to infiltrate?

00100001 · 06/05/2023 19:18

I got the right hump when they said girls "identifying as boys" we're supposed to fucking leave...but welcomed boys identifying as girls bat shit

Gymmum82 · 06/05/2023 19:25

Eggybrains · 06/05/2023 19:11

I agree with the above. The issue is, you’ve no idea if the group is being run in a safe manner (eg recruitment checks on volunteers to see if they have a criminal record - would seem a basic requirement to me) until you have been there a long time and see an issue - the issue you might end up seeing is your daughter harmed.

HQ should in my view have a duty to ensure basic systems are in place to ensure girls are kept safe but as the above poster shows, they’re so out of touch that many groups ignore them, including things to keep girls safe.

I started volunteering with the c 20 years ago. The policies were in place, and to the best of my knowledge, most people followed them. Then I saw an area of the country that I was in where keeping girls safe appeared to be viewed as an optional extra that they couldn’t be bothered with. And all HQ seemed bothered with was keeping me quiet rather than addressing the issues.

They just don’t appear to have systems in place to ensure girls are kept safe. I am immensely sad about it. The chances are your daughter will be fine and have fun, but if I were you I’d find another organisation that takes keeping children safe seriously and has systems in place to ensure that happens.

Show quote history

Every volunteer has to have a DBS check. It’s a requirement. You can’t run a unit without DBS. Safeguarding and first aid. Which are checked by the county to ensure they are all in place. I can’t even run the unit for a week if mine has lapsed

BettyBoopy · 06/05/2023 19:32

CoalCraft · 04/05/2023 03:40

I found it boring, miserable and unfriendly as a child right from rainbows through to guides, but I'm sure it depends on local leaders. I won't be sending my kids unless they specifically ask to go.

Same here and the same (now) 70 odd year old dragon still runs it. Not an ounce of fun in her body. Gutted as my daughter would love some of the things they can do.

Spiderysenses · 06/05/2023 19:34

We've been involved with Guiding and Scouts for years. If I had it to do again, I would have only chosen Scouts for both sexes. Not because of the issues reported on Mumsnet, but just the general experience of Girlguiding not being great for older kids, not being well organised and a lot of sniping between leaders and kids. The Scout groups were better organised, more physical activities, better facilities and gave more for the money. Guiding in the last few years has seemed increasingly petty and keen to wring as much money out of parents as possible.

Eggybrains · 06/05/2023 19:53

Yes it’s in their policies, but I identified multiple instances of it not happening locally and all GG could do in response was to try to shut me up. It’s great it happens with you, but it doesn’t happen as it should always, and you’ve no way of knowing if your unit is in an area like mine or yours. Thankfully all this is properly documented and I can share these documents with you if you don’t believe me.

Eggybrains · 06/05/2023 19:54

Gymmum82 · 06/05/2023 19:25

Every volunteer has to have a DBS check. It’s a requirement. You can’t run a unit without DBS. Safeguarding and first aid. Which are checked by the county to ensure they are all in place. I can’t even run the unit for a week if mine has lapsed

Show quote history

Sorry my abovebpost was in response to @Gymmum82 but didn’t quote

KnickerlessParsons · 06/05/2023 20:06

Gymmum82 · 03/05/2023 22:27

No idea what’s going on with HQ but as a rainbows leader I can assure you that most of us ignore the nonsense and continue to run our groups as a fun safe space for girls.
We do heaps of outdoor adventures, indoor adventures, trips, camps etc. Our girls love it

Would you be happy to have a man sharing a room with you at a residential though, and not call out on the REN form that a man was present?

GG is a great organisation, but it's the ridiculousness around the trans issue that caused me to leave. If that doesn't bother you, your DD should have a fab time at GG.

Gymmum82 · 06/05/2023 20:14

Spiderysenses · 06/05/2023 19:34

We've been involved with Guiding and Scouts for years. If I had it to do again, I would have only chosen Scouts for both sexes. Not because of the issues reported on Mumsnet, but just the general experience of Girlguiding not being great for older kids, not being well organised and a lot of sniping between leaders and kids. The Scout groups were better organised, more physical activities, better facilities and gave more for the money. Guiding in the last few years has seemed increasingly petty and keen to wring as much money out of parents as possible.

I can’t comment on activities in scouts but I know they charge more than double than that of the guiding units locally. As an activity compared to other things available we are very cheap. Scouting is super expensive. It may be worth it. I don’t know

Gymmum82 · 06/05/2023 20:21

KnickerlessParsons · 06/05/2023 20:06

Would you be happy to have a man sharing a room with you at a residential though, and not call out on the REN form that a man was present?

GG is a great organisation, but it's the ridiculousness around the trans issue that caused me to leave. If that doesn't bother you, your DD should have a fab time at GG.

Show quote history

100% no I wouldn’t. But surely then at scouting it would be the same experience? They are after all mixed sex.
My unit will continue to be a safe space for girls for as long as I am running it

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 06/05/2023 20:23

I'm a brownie leader and my dd is a brownie and it's a lovely group. Brown owl does loads with the girls.