Olympians help girls reach new heights

• British Olympians, climber, Shauna Coxsey and rower, Caragh McMurtry team up with Girlguiding to help all girls know they can do anything with launch of five new adventure badges - Height, Water, Sport, Snow and Land
• Research reveals 83% of children aged 6 to 18 like to go outside to have fun and adventures

12 April 2023: Girlguiding, has teamed up with British Olympic climber, Shauna Coxsey and British Olympic rower, Caragh McMurtry to launch a new set of adventure badges to encourage members aged four to 18 years old to try something new and challenge themselves with exciting adventurous activities.

Climber Shauna Coxsey and rower Caragh McMurtry were the first to be given the new Girlguiding adventure Height and Water badges in acknowledgement of their hugely successful climbing and rowing achievements.

The former Tokyo 2020 Olympians have teamed up with Girlguiding to launch the badges with the aim of inspiring all girls to know that they can do anything.

Former Olympic climber and two-time sport climbing World Cup champion, Shauna said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have received my Girlguiding Height badge. Every climb is always an adventure and I’m excited knowing that through the launch of these new adventure badges more girls will be encouraged to try climbing, bouldering, zip lining and lots of other activities they might not otherwise get the opportunity to.”

Ex-Olympic rower and founder of Neurodiverse Sport, Caragh McMurtry said: “I first got into rowing through an outreach programme for schools to encourage more young people into the sport. My rowing hobby soon became a life-long pursuit. I love that Girlguiding is encouraging more girls to try new sports and activities with its new adventure badges. Girls can definitely do anything, and having the opportunity to give something new a go is so important.”

The badges, which sit outside the core guiding programme, have been designed to encourage all guiding units and members across the organisations four sections, to get involved and try new and exciting adventurous activities from canoeing, and zip wires to going ice skating or grass sledging at a local park

There will be five new adventure badges per section; Rainbows aged 4-7, Brownies aged 7-10, Guides aged 10-14, and Rangers aged 14-18, with age-appropriate activity options under each category. All badges carry suggestions of accessible, affordable and adaptable activities to ensure all girls have the opportunity to experience adventure,

• Snow: All activities where you have to get a bit chilly. These are the adventurous activities you can do on snow or ice, such as ice skating, skiing and snow sledging.
• Water: All activities where you have to get a bit wet. These are the adventurous activities you can do on or in water, such as rowing, swimming and windsurfing
• Sport: All the sports activities. Anything that involves some equipment, a game and some rules, such as fencing, cricket and football.
• Height: You can go a few feet or soar into the sky - these are all the activities where you leave the ground, such as climbing, abseiling and zip wires.
• Land: All activities where you get to explore the land around you, either above or underground, such as grass sledging and cycling.

Megan, 21 and Girlguiding advocate, said: “Girlguiding provides loads of opportunities for girls and young women to experience new adventures and explore the world around them. From learning how to play football to conquering your fear of heights by zooming down a zipline, these new adventure badges encourage members to get active, try anything, beat the odds and have fun as they go.”

The badges will mark the achievements of young members after they have participated in an activity under one of the five themes. This can be either as a whole Girlguiding unit or individually.

Today’s launch follows Girlguiding research which found 83% of children aged six to 18 said they like to go outside to have fun and adventures. For younger children this was significantly higher (81% aged 6 compared to 24% aged 16).

The research also revealed what children do to have adventures varies by age group. All ages like to play on their bikes or go for a cycle, go for walks and have new experiences. Younger children are more likely to climb, play in the woods, play in the park, build dens or use their imagination to make up games.

From age ten, the research found having adventures to be particularly focused around being with friends.

The badges will be available for leaders to purchase from Girlguiding's webshop next month.

For more information about Girlguiding, becoming a member and volunteering opportunities, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk.

ENDS