From funding to fun

Girlguiding Scotland took a walk on the wild side with a Girlguiding exclusive event at Blair Drummond Safari Park. In September, they had a whole weekend of fun and adventure with close encounters with sealions and tigers, plus monkeys climbing all over the safari bus. They saw swooping birds of prey, had endless fun on inflatable slides, fairground rides and bouncy castles, then ended the day with marshmallow toasting - and, of course, lots of badges!

They used the adventure funding to help everyone get to the event from the local train station. They had a convoy of coaches to pick up groups at Stirling train station, take them out to Blair Drummond and then take them back to the station at the end of the day. 

The coaches helped everyone to use public transport, helping to keep the costs down. For lots of if they couldn’t have used public transport then their group wouldn’t have been able to attend and lots of girls enjoyed their first adventure on a train too.

Girlguiding Cymru South Wales took a step into the great outdoors in with an exclusive adventure at the National Botanic Garden of Wales. In July, girls from Rainbows to Rangers enjoyed a whole day of exploring nature, spotting wildlife and discovering plants, plus hands-on activities from pond dipping to den building. They tried out microscopes, had outdoor adventures, made candles, cooked on campfires and even relaxed with yoga in the sunshine. And the excitement didn’t stop there, they were among the first to try the brand-new Flow & Grow Yoga Challenge Badge, created with Flow & Grow Yoga here in Wales.

They used adventure funding to help girls and leaders travel in from across South Wales for the big event. Groups made the most of shared transport, keeping costs down and helping everyone join in, no matter how far they’d travelled. For lots of units, the support meant they could take part when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to and lots of girls enjoyed their very first big guiding day out in the gardens too.

Girlguiding Cymru North Wales brought science to life with an exciting Girlguiding exclusive weekend at Xplore! Science Discovery Centre in Wrexham. In July, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers enjoyed two days packed with hands-on STEM fun, from building structures and testing forces to exploring over 80 interactive exhibits. They made slime with plenty of glitter and giggles, watched dramatic experiments full of spectacular reactions and spent time outdoors playing games, including a lively round of table tennis. It was a weekend full of curiosity, creativity and lots of smiles.

Adventure funding helped girls and leaders from across North Wales travel to Wrexham to take part. Units made the most of shared transport and supported journeys, helping to keep the costs down and making sure everyone could join in. For many groups, the funding meant they could attend when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to, meaning lots of girls could get stuck into science.

Girlguiding Anglia introduced travel bursaries to support 2 events, the Hertfordshire Zoo takeover and the Brownie Spectacular, helping units travel more easily and confidently to their adventures. Groups used the bursary to support their train travel, helping to reduce costs for parents and carers. The volunteers had great feedback too. These bursaries made the events far more accessible, helping girls reach adventurous opportunities that might otherwise have been out of reach.

For the Brownie Spectacular and the units who used the shuttle bus service, the shuttle arrangements worked brilliantly. The Hautbois Activity Centre team stayed in touch during the journey and had transport ready as soon as units arrived.

The remaining funding helped reduce ticket prices for other events and supported the purchase of new activities for future programmes. Across the year, girls took part in a huge range of Anglia-specific badge activities including archery, climbing, zipwire, kayaking, circus skills, animal displays and talks, and orienteering. The bursary made a huge difference.

Brownies from across South West England enjoyed a weekend adventure at Dartmoor Zoo during the final weekend of July 2025.

Partnering once again with Dartmoor Zoo, Girlguiding South West England’s popular ‘Snooze at the Zoo’ event offered the opportunity for 87 Brownies and 21 volunteers from Somerset North, Devon, Dorset, and Wiltshire North to sleep over at the zoo. They took part in exclusive activities led by zoo staff and explored the zoo after hours. Each Brownie also received an event badge and a ‘Snooze at the Zoo’ t-shirt.

Thanks to the funding every young member received a £10 travel grant, helping make this unique adventure more accessible for everyone.

Across the region, units used the fund to help support lots of incredible opportunities for girls. The 113th Bradford Guides headed to Doe Park Activity Centre for a high-ropes adventure, try something completely new and build confidence outdoors. The 51st Doncaster Guides used funding to make sure a young member could join them at the Poacher International Jamboree, while the 23rd Doncaster Guides supported a girl to take part in an unforgettable trip exploring London’s landmarks, watching a West End show, and visiting Pax Lodge for an adventure-packed city trip.

The 1st Pennine East Guides used their grant to make a wet and windy residential at Carlton Lodge accessible for everyone, helping girls build resilience, independence and new friendships across units. Berwick Rangers used the fund to cover travel to the Glasgow Cityscapes Adventure, opening the door to a major urban experience for girls who rarely have the chance to explore a big city independently.

Other adventures had girls soaring, exploring, and making memories! 1st Dodsworth Guides reduced costs for girls to go to WINGS 2026, 1st Forest Hall Brownies celebrated in style at their Diamond Anniversary residential, and 2nd Broughton Brownies helped cover the costs of a girl to experience the magic of their unit’s Disney trip. The 4th Knottingley Brownies & Guides helped support four girls to attend a roar-some county event at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, while 16th Sheffield Brownies had an exciting sleepover at The Deep aquarium with funded coach travel. The 2nd Chester-le-Street Brownies got support with coach travel for their 2026 spring residential at Waddow Hall, full of fresh-air adventures and exciting activities.

North West England used the grant to help units get to the Adventure by the Mountain event in Cumbria for International Day of the Girl. Girls took part in a range of adventurous activities, including crate stacking, zip lines, tai chi, woodland storytelling, an army obstacle course, plus much more. Everyone loved getting muddy in the wet weather, with many saying it was the best day ever and asking to come back again!