GOLD
Guiding Overseas Linked with Development (GOLD) enables young women to develop their potential and make a difference in the world
Improve your skills, experience new cultures and make a long-term impact.
GOLD empowers young women to work in partnership with other guide associations around the world. It's great for our GOLD teams, who have fantastic adventures, and it's great for our partner organisations too.
GOLD has been working with member countries of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) for 30 years. So far, we've given over 1000 members of Girlguiding an adventure of a lifetime.
Transforming GOLD
We’ll be using what we’ve learnt from our recent pilot GOLD programmes to shape our next adventure. And we're currently looking at how we can transform GOLD to better meet the needs of Girlguiding UK and our partners around the world.
Our vision is to create a model that is even more impactful, more inclusive and more equitable.
To make this a success, we will be pausing GOLD. This will give us the time and space to redesign the programme.
As there will be no GOLD projects in 2025, there will be no Go for GOLD (our current selection event).
Projects that make a lasting difference
Past GOLD projects have travelled to more than 41 countries including Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Malawi, Peru and Sri Lanka. Each project is tailored to the local needs of the partner guiding association.
These projects range from leadership skills training to delivering advocacy programmes to young women. Designed in partnership with other guiding organisations, these sustainable projects make sure that the positive impacts of GOLD are still felt after everyone has gone home – so they make a real difference!
What happens on GOLD?
We put together teams of six members – five participants supported by a leader with previous GOLD experience. Teams work with a member organisation of WAGGGS on a specific area of developing guiding. They might run leadership skills training, develop a recruitment strategy, set up a new section or lead workshops on body confidence.
On a GOLD journey, you can:
- Make friendships that last a lifetime
- Make a real difference to communities and guiding overseas
- Learn about new cultures and meet new people
- Learn new skills – great for you and for your CV
- Bring back your newfound skills and experiences to local guiding
