Latest news with #AmandaAzeez
ITV News
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Girlguides announce 72 new badges in thrifting, rescuing bees and 'fandoms'
Girl guides will now be able to earn badges for getting a good night's sleep, sharing their "guiding sparkle" and being in a "fandom." Girlguiding has unveiled 72 new badges its members can work towards, in one of the largest updates in the organisation's 115-year history. The badges, which were co-designed by more than 20,000 girls and volunteers, will be rolled out to members aged four to 18, across Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers groups. Different badges can be earned by different groups and range from skills-building challenges to encouraging wellness and knowing oneself. Rainbows, who make up the youngest Girlguiding group, can earn a "Bee Rescuer" badge for helping the environment as well as a "My Thoughts" badge, which encourages children to share how they're feeling. Brownies have reinvented the old "Hostess" badge, changing its name to "Celebrations", which is won by hosting a party and providing food and decorations. While Guides are being encouraged to upcycle to earn a '"Thrift" badge and explore wellness through writing to earn the "Journaling" badge. The new "Fandom" badge can be rewarded to Rangers who share their passion and connect with fellow fans of popstars like Taylor Swift or the Harry Potter series. A youth panel made up of 30 girls aged between 12 to 18 and seven partners, including The Royal Horticultural Society and the Children's Book Project helped develop the ideas seen on the badges. Amanda Azeez, acting chief executive of Girlguiding, said the launch of the new badges marked a "huge moment" for the orgaisation. She added: "They've been designed by girls, for girls – which is so important to make sure we are staying relevant to girls' wants and needs. "The response from girls and volunteers during the consultation process was incredible and really inspiring. "There's something for everyone among the new badges and I'm looking forward to seeing the impact these activities have on girls, building their confidence and helping them know they can do anything." Joining the organisation as ambassador to launch the project, broadcaster and presenter Angellica Bell said she wants to encourage girls to tackle the many challenges they face. She said: "I know first-hand just how important it is for girls to have activities outside of school to educate but also have fun. "Girlguiding offers a safe and welcoming space for all girls, and I am so impressed by the work they do to build girls' confidence and wellbeing, whilst tackling important issues impacting their lives such as online harm, sexism and misogyny. "In a world where the voices of girls and young women are not always fairly heard, I am proud to stand alongside Girlguiding and will be using my voice to speak up for equality and to show that girls can do anything.'
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Girlguiding : What are the 72 new badges?
Girlguiding, the UK's largest youth organisation for girls, has launched 72 new badges in one of the biggest updates in its 115-year new badges have been designed for girls aged 4 to 18 across all sections of Girlguiding; Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers. This is only the second time in the organisation's history that the badge programme has been updated on such a large of the new badges on offer are earned through laughter, kindness, or even strong interests, where enthusiasm over things like Taylor Swift could see teenage Rangers receive a Fandom badge. Archive images courtesy of British Pathé The new badges also cover a wide range of interests and skills, from interior design and food tasting to learning about insects and creating calm spaces. They were developed after feedback from more than 20,000 girls and volunteers . More than 4,000 badge ideas were submitted, and 11,000 girls helped test the new activities that each badge involves. The badge activities were developed with Girlguiding's youth panel Amplify. Fatima, who is 18 and part of the group, says: "It's empowering to know our voices help shape what guiding looks like for the future."The aim of the new badges is to give members more choice and to reflect the things they said they wanted to learn. Amanda Azeez, Girlguiding Acting CEO said: "They've been designed by girls, for girls which is so important to make sure we are staying relevant to girls' wants and needs. My personal favourite is the Bee rescuer badge for Rainbows - I just love it!" Some of the new badges include: Courage: Helping younger members in Rainbows understand that being brave means trying new things, even when they feel Designer: Giving girls the chance to plan, design and decorate a space using their Spaces: Encouraging older members to create a relaxing environment that helps them feel calm and Critic: Helping girls explore different flavours and express their opinions on what they do (or don't) the last badge refresh in 2018, Girlguiding says more than 1.5 million badges have been earned by girls across the UK. How did Girlguiding begin? The Girl Guide Association was created in 1909 by a woman called Agnes Baden-Powell. Agnes played an incredibly important role in the Girl Guide movement. Her brother Robert had founded the Boy Scouts Association not long before, but many people didn't approve of girls taking part in outdoor activities, despite many wanting to take part. Agnes wanted to change that and her brother was in full support of her creating an organisation specifically for girls. Girl Guides were soon practising skills like cooking and first aid and there were lots of different badges they could earn. Many of these skills became very useful when the First World War began and saw lots of men and boys go off to fight. Famous Girl Guides include the late Queen Elizabeth, who became a Guide in 1937 at 11 when she was a princess. In 1994 The Girl Guide Association's name was updated to the Guide Association. It was updated again in 2002 and is known today as Girlguiding UK.
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Girlguiding unveils 72 new badges including 'fandoms' and 'laughter'
Girl guides can now earn badges for activities such as "fandoms", being a "booktivist" and sharing their "guiding sparkle".For only the second time in Girlguiding's long history, new badges have been added to the list of patches that can be 72 new badges were launched in response to girls' requests to broaden the youth organisation's scope to include activities such as environmental conservation and building acting CEO Amanda Azeez called the launch a "huge moment", emphasising the importance of the 116-year-old organisation "staying relevant to girls' wants and needs". Different badges are available for the different age-related groups within the new badges the youngest, the Rainbows (aged four to seven), can earn are ones for laughter, grooving, courage and being a "bee rescuer".One young girl told BBC Newsround that, as part of earning the laughter badge, another girl had made animal noises that the rest of the group then had to (aged seven to 10) will now be recognised for showing a keen interest in folklore or birdwatching, as well as discovering ways to make their voice (aged 10-14) will be able to earn the "thrift" badge when they demonstrate the ability to "create something new" through repurposing and upcycling old can also be rewarded for strong interests. Rangers (aged 14 to 18) can earn a "fandoms" badge for sharing their enthusiasm for things like Taylor Swift or Harry can also become a "booktivist" by learn how reading can empower badges across the new set are for activities such as codebreaking, engineering, friendship, history and interior design. More than 20,000 girls and volunteers helped design the new badges and 11,000 girls tested out the activities that need to be completed to earn ambassador and TV presenter Angellica Bell said trying the new badges had been "a real blast".She said the organisation helped build girls' confidence "whilst tackling important issues impacting their lives such as online harm, sexism and misogyny"."I know firsthand just how important it is for girls to have activities outside of school to educate but also have fun," she last time Girlguiding introduced new badges was in 2019 - 110 years after its called the Girl Guide Association, the organisation was founded in 1909 by Agnes Baden-Powell to give girls the opportunity to take part in outdoor activities like the Scouts had for boys (which was incidentally set up by her brother).Famous members include the late Queen Elizabeth II, who became a Guide in 1937 at the age of a member of Girlguiding's youth steering group, said the new badges showed how the programme was "always evolving with us".The 18-year-old added: "It's empowering to know our voices help shape what guiding looks like for the future."
