Girlguiding impact report

Girlguiding is a space where girls can be themselves

Our analysis shows that Girlguiding provides a positive experience for girls from under-represented communities.

“It’s fun to be able to just be yourself without any worry about what other people are going to say”

Ranger

Girlguiding is working towards becoming more diverse

At Girlguiding, we know our membership isn’t representative of the UK yet - and that’s something we’re determined to change. We want to be a place where everyone is welcome and has an equal sense of belonging.

To drive this change, we have an equity, diversity and inclusion strategic plan. This plan lays out our aim to be more accessible to girls and volunteers of colour, and from the most socioeconomically deprived areas and to become a more diverse organisation for all girls and volunteers in the UK.

With the added pressure of the cost-of-living crisis in the UK, it’s more important than ever that Girlguiding is accessible for all girls. Especially when 75% of UK girls said they are worried about the increased cost of living in the latest Girls' Attitudes Survey (2023).

In November 2022, we surveyed our girls on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and found that girls from the most deprived backgrounds were more likely to use food banks and to cut spending on essential items like period products.

Ethnicity	Girlguiding %	UK population % (girls age 4-18)8
Arab or Middle Eastern	<1	1
Asian or Asian British	3	12
Black or Black British	2	5
Mixed or multi-ethnic	5	6
White	90	74
Any other ethnic group	<1	2

Religion	Girlguiding %	UK population (girls aged 4-18) %
Buddhist	<1	<1
Christian	52	27
Hindu	1	1
Jewish	<1	<1
Muslim	1	8
No religion or belief	44	63
Other religion or belief	1	<1
Sikh	<1	<1

Least deprived areas:

Girlguiding

Most deprived areas:

Girlguiding

Disabled:

Girlguiding

Non-disabled:

Girlguiding

“In our units it’s nice for girls to see someone else who is a person of colour in a leadership position, it helps them be themselves I think.”

Volunteer

Girlguiding is a space where girls can be themselves

Our analysis shows that Girlguiding provides a positive experience for girls from under-represented communities, including girls from the most socioeconomically deprived communities and girls of colour. We have further to go on our journey to becoming a more equitable organisation, but we’re proud to offer girls a space where they’re free to be themselves.

“When I go to Rangers it’s a chance to be totally myself, it’s the hour and a half in the week I can let my hair down and not really care about what other people think.”

Ranger

We asked Girlguiding girls how included and accepted they felt with us:

strongly agreed or agreed that:

‘Girlguiding embraces difference and diversity’

Compared to:

girls from the most socioeconomically deprived communities

girls of colour

disabled girls

strongly agreed or agreed that:

‘Girlguiding is inclusive’

Compared to:

girls from the most socioeconomically deprived communities

girls of colour

disabled girls

strongly agreed or agreed that:

‘Girlguiding is a place where I can be myself’

Compared to:

girls from the most socioeconomically deprived communities

girls of colour

disabled girls

8 Office for National Statistics - Census 2021 for ethnicity, disability and religion data only and Office for National Statistics, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, Scottish Government and Welsh Government - Indices of Multiple Deprivation (2017-2020)

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