For immediate release
Adventure deficit emerging among
young people – Girlguiding UK calls on girls and young women to
raise their adventure pulse
- Children and young people are perceived
as less adventurous than previous generations, according to new
national research
- Identified barriers to children becoming
more adventurous include the distractions of television and the
internet (81 per cent of those questioned) and concerns over safety
(72 per cent) while 76 per cent of people think this generation’s
parents are more protective than in the past
- Girlguiding UK launch an Adventure
Pulse app to challenge this generation’s adventure deficit
with tips from Girlguiding UK members on how to become more
adventurous
Today, Girlguiding UK is highlighting this
generation’s adventure deficit in light of new research which finds
young people are perceived as less adventurous than previous
generations. It has launched a new Adventure Pulse app – a fun
online quiz - to help today’s generation reassess their attitude to
adventure. The campaign has the backing of high-profile daredevil
Helen Skelton, 27. Since being a Brownie in Cumbria Helen has gone
on to complete two ultra-marathons and completed a 150m highwire
stunt.
Helen said: "It’s great
that Girlguiding UK is encouraging everyone to get their heart
racing with some adventure. We all like to think we’re
adventurous and it’s only when someone actually puts you on the
spot like this that you realise how many more personal challenges
you could be conquering. I know some challenges can be intimidating
but I really don't think being scared of something is a reason to
avoid it, if you find your limits and go past them, the
possibilities of what you can do with your life really are
limitless."
In a new survey conducted for Girlguiding UK
over half (56 per cent) of those questioned said children and young
people today are less adventurous than previous generations.
In response Girlguiding UK, the UK’s largest
voluntary provider of adventures for girls and young women, is
calling for young people to make this their most adventurous summer
ever. Girlguiding UK has created a new Adventure Pulse app to give
a tangible measure of how adventurous you are as well as top tips
on how to introduce more adventure into your
life.
TV and internet were seen as the main barriers
standing in the way of adventure, alongside safety concerns and
risk-averse parenting. Over three quarters of those surveyed (76
per cent) felt that parenting-style had become more protective.
Brownie Leader Tracey Murray, who is
also responsible for ensuring Girlguiding UK’s programme is driven
by the interests of today’s girls, said: “Without
the encouragement to try something new, there is a danger children
can slip into boring routines and activities which don’t stretch or
enthuse them.
“Inspiring adventure in our members to help
create self-assured, confident girls and young women is at the
heart of what Girlguiding UK does.
“I know from my own experience how beneficial
adventure can be to your well-being.
“Unfortunately, today’s research raises
concerns that there are children who still do not benefit from
these experiences.
“This is such a shame as both adults and
children can get so much out of adventure - it’s one of the perks
of volunteering - and I challenge anyone who wants to regain their
zest for life to get involved with something like guiding.
“The Adventure Pulse app is a fun way of
encouraging people to assess whether or not they are letting
opportunities pass them by – and what may be holding them
back.”
Girlguiding UK is encouraging today’s
generation to reassess their attitude to adventure by taking their
adventure pulse and have provided tips on how to get it racing:
- Do you get butterflies in your stomach
when doing something adventurous? No? Then it’s not
adventurous enough for you. Push yourself that bit further.
- Count to 10 before you say no to a new
adventure. What could you learn from taking part? Might it be
fun? Will you be missing out if you say no?
- If you feel you’re not adventurous, team
up with someone who you think is. They’ll inspire you to take on a
challenge and give you the encouragement that will help you
succeed.
To take your adventure pulse and find out how
to raise your levels of adventure, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/adventurepulse
-ENDS-
For more information, high-res images or
interviews with young women from Girlguiding UK, or please contact
Kim Sanders on kim.sanders@girlguiding.org.uk
or 020 7592 1733 / 07990 553 940.
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The survey was conducted by nfpSynergy
research on a sample of 1,000. The sample size enables us to be 95
per cent sure that results are representative of the wider British
public aged 16+ (about 48,516,000) within a 0.5 per cent to 3 per
cent margin of error.
- Research conducted by Girlguiding UK in April
2009 found that more than half of girls believed they are not given
enough freedom to do things on their own, and two-thirds of
girls over 13 felt there are still more rules for girls than boys.
Three-quarters also believed that learning from past experiences
helps you to deal with risk.
- Girlguiding UK enables girls and young women
to experience adventure in all its forms. To do this we need more
people to give more girls the opportunity to grow in guiding. Click
here to find out how http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/get_involved.aspx
- This year Girlguiding UK is hosting Adventure
Made Easy, a programme of more than 80 exciting adventures, at its
Training and Activity Centres.
- Girlguiding UK’s Training and Activity
Centres offer hundreds of activities to any organised youth group –
including schools and the Scouts – as well as adult groups looking
for a corporate challenge event or a team-building exercise.
The survey’s findings also show that of those
questioned:
- 80 per cent thought children were
less outdoorsy than previous generations.
- 79 per cent thought children were
less active than previous generations.
- 67 per cent thought children were
less sporty than previous generations.
- 68 per cent thought children were
more unfit than previous generations.
- 72 per cent thought children were
more over-protected than previous
generations.
Girlguiding UK is the UK’s largest voluntary
organisation for girls and young women, with around 530,000 members
and recognised volunteers. Over a third of girls and young women
(aged 7-21) in the UK are involved in guiding, or have been in the
past and almost half of all the women in the UK have been involved
in guiding at some stage in their lives. We run Rainbows (5-7
years), Brownies (7-10 years), Guides (10-14 years) and Senior
Section (14-25 years), enabling girls and young women to develop
their potential whatever their ability or background. We are
striving to offer new opportunities to a broad diversity of
communities through our expanding network of over 61,000 trained
volunteer Leaders.
At Girlguiding UK we seek to give girls a
voice and provide a unique, girl-only space where they feel
comfortable just being themselves. Our members, challenged by a
girl-led programme that extends beyond badges, enjoy a spectrum of
activities from international travel and outdoor adventure to
pop-concerts and community action.
Girlguiding UK, part of a worldwide Movement
of approximately 10 million girls and young women in 145 countries,
celebrated its Centenary in 2010. Registered Charity No
306016.