Girlguiding Rangers dig in to launch new gardening badge
To celebrate the upcoming launch of Girlguiding’s brand new Gardening badge, Girlguiding Rangers from Doncaster have designed and planted a Community Cube, called ‘Girlguiding grows’, for RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse
Created in collaboration with the RHS, the new interest badge will challenge Rangers (girls aged 14-18 in Guiding) to put their green fingers to the test and discover the wonderful world of gardening. Rangers completing the badge will learn how to plan and maintain a garden through the year, become sustainable gardening gurus and practice planting at home or in a community space.
Girls and volunteers from the 82nd Doncaster Rangers who worked on the Community Cube were the very first Girlguiding members to be awarded with the new Gardening badges, having successfully completed the badge activities as part of the preparations for the flower show.
It is well known that getting outside and having adventures benefits young people’s physical and mental health, and Girlguiding’s Girls’ Attitudes Survey has found that 74% of girls would like more opportunities to be outdoors and in nature. With teenage girls increasingly facing barriers to accessing green spaces, including fears about their safety, Girlguiding and the RHS want to encourage girls to nurture a connection to the outdoors.
Talking about the garden design, Madison, 16, from 82nd Doncaster Rangers said: “My favourite thing about the garden is how it highlights the range of opportunities available in Girlguiding - the flowers are arranged in different colours to represent all of our different themes, and a selection of our favourite badges are shown within them. Another exciting element is the wheelbarrow, designed to highlight the new Rangers Gardening badge! Being a part of this show is so exciting.”
The Design
The ‘Girlguiding grows’ Community Cube design features a path through the centre of the cube with four hanging baskets suspended from the top of the cube. Flowers and plants in these baskets match the colours of each of the Girlguiding sections – Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers. This symbolises the journey Girlguiding takes young people on, both through progression from Rainbows to Rangers and also the journey of growth, learning, fun and friendship that guiding supports. In the centre there is a campfire circle, synonymous with Girlguiding adventures.
The Gardening badge is among 72 new Girlguiding badges set to launch in late July following a resounding call for more badges by its young members and volunteers. The badges have been co-designed and tested by over 20,000 girls.
- Girlguiding’s programme provides girls aged 4-18 with the opportunity to learn invaluable skills in the welcoming fun and supportive environment Girlguiding provides. All girls in Girlguiding are encouraged, and empowered to know they can do anything and become future leaders and change-makers in their communities.
