Members attend Jubilee tea party at 10 Downing Street

6 June 2022

Girlguiding members were invited to a special Jubilee Tea Party at 10 Downing Street, on Monday 6 June. Three young members, Ranger, Katie 17 and Guides, Maya 14 and Esme 10, were personally invited by the Prime Minister, thanks to the impact they’ve had in their local community.

Katie, a Young Leader and Ranger from Barnes, has been volunteering weekly at Kingston Hospital as a ‘Dining Companion’ in the post-surgical ward for elderly patients, many of whom suffer with dementia. When she turns 18, she plans to volunteer in the A&E department.

Katie said: “I was so honoured to be asked to attend the Jubilee Tea Party at Downing Street - it’s lovely to be thanked during the Jubilee celebrations. I love my volunteering work, both at Kingston Hospital and with Girlguiding. It’s great to be giving back to my local community.”

Maya volunteers at a Rainbow unit in London and is a Guide herself. During her Guide unit meetings, she’s given two powerful speeches about women’s rights and the LGBTQ+ community. Maya also promoted her local Guide unit at Wanstead Park and SAUGA plant sales.

Maya said: “Volunteering at Rainbows and being a member of Guides is so important to me. I love contributing my time to my community in London Over the Border County. Being able to speak about the issues that are important to me, such as women’s rights and LGBTQ+ community, at Guides is really special.

Esme is a Guide from Surrey who raised an incredible £15,000 for Young Lives vs Cancer, a charity that supported Esme and her family when she was diagnosed with leukaemia in early 2021. For ‘Esme’s Man-icure challenge’, men were challenged to choose the brightest nail polish they could find, paint their nails, share photos, and keep the polish on for a week.

Inspired by the challenge, cosmetics brand Barry M launched a limited edition nail paint that was designed by Esme in 2021, with 100% of sales going towards Young Lives vs Cancer.

The 10-year-old has already received a Guiding Hero award for her impressive fundraising efforts and has now been invited to the Jubilee Tea Party to celebrate the Queen’s 70-year rule.

Esme said: “It was so much fun raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer, it’s such an important charity and it really helped me and my family. I can’t wait to go to the Jubilee Tea Party!”

The Girlguiding members joined other young people from the Youth United Foundation’s (YUF) network member organisations at the event.

Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK with nearly 370,000 members. Powered by over 80,000 volunteers Girlguiding offers all girls and young women a space where they can be themselves, have fun and adventure, make lasting friendships, build confidence and resilience, and gain valuable life skills.

This Volunteers’ Week (1 June - 7 June), Girlguiding celebrates the people that power its organisation and encourages new volunteers to join the charity.

Girlguiding offers flexible opportunities to fit around volunteers’ lives. Working with young people and other volunteers helps develop valuable, transferable skills like event planning, time management, leadership skills and budgeting. Volunteering for Girlguiding provides opportunities to meet new friends, share skills or specialisms and spend time laughing, playing, and being inspired by incredible girls and young women.