Centenary Launch

The Centenary has begun!

On the weekend of 5-6 September 2009, hundreds of thousands of Girlguiding UK members celebrated in style as we collectively launched the beginning of our year of Centenary celebrations. 

On this weekend exactly 100 years ago, a small group of courageous girls stepped forward at the 1909 Boy Scouts Rally in Crystal Palace Park and asked its Founder, Robert Baden-Powell, for ‘something for the girls’. Guiding has come a long way since then – the movement has travelled all over the globe with over 10 million members worldwide and over 500,000 in the UK. 

All over the country, members were invited to bring along a past member of guiding and ask them to ‘come and look at us now!’  Hundreds of thousands of party-goers were treated to circus skills, outdoor adventures, performing arts workshops.

Of course, our Launch Parties mark just the beginning of our whole year of Centenary celebrations, running right up until October 2010. 

Here is just a glimpse of some of the fantastic Launch Parties from around the UK:

• Giant’s Causeway, N Ireland: 100 girls stand on 100 stones to represent 100 years’ of guiding.
• Cambridge: 1,700 girls take over the city centre in a giant game of ‘guideopoly’.
• Wetherby Racecourse, Leeds: 4,500 girls celebrate with a charity fun run and activity day including music and street dancing.
• Man Tor Mountain, the Peak District: 100s of girls form a ‘human 100’ visible two miles away.
• Heaton Park, Manchester: 8,500 girls gaze sky-wards as a giant ‘Girlguiding 100’ banner is parachuted into their multi-activity event.
• Land’s End to Kit Hill, Cornwall:  2,500 girls celebrate as 8 beacons are lit to mark the first 100 years’ of guiding.

Take a look around our website to find out more about our other Centenary projects and events.

Click here to tell us about your event.

If you’d like to find out more about Girlguiding UK and maybe have a go at getting involved then you’ve come along at just the right time! We’ve just started our biggest birthday celebrations ever – a whole year of events and projects to celebrate our Centenary so why not join us.