Local Guide volunteers lose fight to save overseas units

TWO local long-standing volunteers for Guides have lost their campaign to save British Girlguiding Overseas.

Christine and John Glover are volunteers for Girlguiding UK and launched a campaign earlier this year to prevent the 36 British Girlguiding units overseas from closing. 

They were challenging a decision by the Girlguiding board of trustees in April to end their support for British Girlguiding Overseas, a decision that will mean that many Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers packs on military bases and in expat communities across the world will no longer be able to operate. 

They created a petition and also wrote a letter to His Majesty King Charles III, the chief executive of Guides and MP Michelle Donelan to gain their support.   

But their appeal has been unsuccessful with the British Girlguiding Overseas saying that all attempts to continue as part of Girlguiding UK have been exhausted. It means that after more than 100 years, Girlguiding UK has closed its overseas operations. 

Christine, who is the chair of The Friends of BGO and a Guide leader in Steeple Ashton, said, “I will continue to fight and cause problems around about it, I’m not giving this up. Over 2,500 girls have been set adrift across the world from Girlguiding UK. 

“We are all so very upset and angry and many of us are considering our future roles within Girlguiding after 40 plus years; a very difficult decision for me to make as I love my role as a leader with my Guides at Steeple Ashton.” 

In a statement, the BGO executive committee, said, “Many people have been working for and with us to try and find a way for BGO to continue our journey as members of Girlguiding, but sadly, our efforts have been in vain…We have now been informed that our last possible attempt to find a way forward has been rejected. As no other options are open to us, we must sadly recognise that no solution can be found to enable us to continue as members of Girlguiding UK.”