100 years of empowering young women celebrated

Editorial Department • Published 11 Feb 2010 10:07 0 Comments

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Girlguiding keeps 'Girls in the Lead' 100 years from its beginning

Members of Girlguiding in Fermanagh swopped their campsite uniforms for glamorous dresses on Friday evening as they attended the Guide Centenary Ball, just one of the many events to mark 100 years of the youth organisation this year.

The event was attended by more than 200 people, including members of Fermanagh Scout Association who supported the glitzy event.

A centenary ball committee has been working over several months preparing for the event and most of those attending were members or former members of the organisation, some of them acting as leaders.

Girl Guides was first established following a rally at Crystal Palace, London when a group of girls approached Lord Baden Powell, asking him for something like Scouts but for girls only. His wife, Olave Baden Powell began working with the first groups and 100 years of giving girls and women opportunities to come together to develop skills, confidence and build better communities is considered significant achievement.

"Guiding has grown and is now an important part of communities across the UK. We have had a lasting impact on girls from vastly different backgrounds with equally different ideas of what they want and can achieve from their lives, a spokesman for the organisation said.

"We strive to ensure that a lack of money won't stop young women making the most of the opportunities open to them. The Centenary Fund builds on Olave Baden Powell's original legacy and with your generous support, we can ensure that many more girls will realise that the biggest barrier to reaching their goals is their imagination," the spokesman stated.

At Friday evening's Centenary Ball, guests were welcomed by the Guides County Commissioner, Catherine Irwin and David Leitch replied on behalf of Fermanagh Scout Association.

The County President, Sue Hogg, also spoke at the event.

Among the guests were Lizzie Hogg, the Deputy Ulster Commissioner, who actually lives at Lisbellaw and the Economy and Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster and her husband, Brian.

Greetings were received from the Catholic Guide association, wishing Girlguiding UK best wishes on their Centenary year.

Belleek Pottery commissioned a special piece of pottery for each of the guests to mark the occasion.

Also at the function, Guides and Scouts in Fermanagh jointly handed over a cheque for £645 for Cancer Research, presented to Maureen Scott, herself a Lisbellaw Brownie Guider.

Other events to mark the centenary year of Girlguiding UK include an activity day for members at the Bawnacre Centre, Irvinestown later this month and a major camp at the Northern Ireland Guide Headquarters at Lorne, near Cultra to where many of the groups in Fermanagh will be attending.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 11 Feb 10

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