Our impact and theory of change

Read our impact report and find out how we’re empowering girls across the UK

We’ve been empowering girls and young women to learn, have fun and enjoy adventures for over 100 years.

Today, more than 300,000 girls meet as Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, supported by 70,000 incredible volunteers. 

We know that girls are a powerful force for change in their own lives. But we also know, across all walks of life and communities, girls face challenges to their confidence. At Girlguiding, we go the extra mile to make sure girls can do these things and more. We empower girls to embrace adventure and new experiences.

What is our impact report?

Our impact report is evidence of the positive impact Girlguiding has on the lives of girls and young women across the UK.

It outlines how our members feel about their experiences in Girlguiding and the difference this makes to them. The findings are compelling, credible and consistent. And we’re excited to share them with you.

Read the report

Read our impact report and find out how Girlguiding is making a difference.

Go to report

Highlights from the report

Girlguiding helps girls feel up to 23% higher confidence than the UK average. And the influence of Girlguiding on girls’ confidence more than doubles between early and mid-adolescence.

We also found that girls and young women in Girlguiding are more active in their communities compared to their peers. They stand up for their beliefs and have a strong sense of community and helping others. 10% of Girlguiding girls give back to their community once a week or more. That’s the equivalent of a massive 149 months or 12.4 years of community work in 2021-2022!

Without our volunteers, out impact wouldn’t be possible. Girlguiding girls trust and value volunteers. Building positive relationships with trusted adults helps girls do their best and feel their best. Girlguiding volunteers report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction than other UK volunteers and adults. They’re​ more motivated to help others, learn new skills and build lasting friendships. We continue to work to make sure volunteers are fulfilled and happy in their roles.

Download a summary of our impact report here.

To find out about the methodology of our impact study please read our technical report.

Our theory of change

This sets out why we exist, what we do, and what we want to achieve. By helping all girls feel happy, confident and supported, our theory of change outlines how we hope to build a more equal and cohesive society.

We started this project by talking to people across Girlguiding about how they feel guiding makes a difference to the lives of our members. We then used these ideas to create a picture of how Girlguiding makes a difference. 

This explains the difficult context that girls experience outside of guiding and the reason why Girlguiding exists, the activities they do with us, how this supports and empowers them and, finally, how guiding members go on to shape a more equal and cohesive world.

Download theory of change

Find out how we're hoping to build a more equal and cohesive world in our theory of change. 

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If you’d like to get in touch about our findings, or to support us, email us at [email protected].