My Life: Julia Peters, 19, Leicestershire
Julia Peters
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Being a Brownie leader is a great way of making new friends, developing skills and volunteering to help girls have the confidence, skills and information to make informed decisions - and most of all have fun.
Brownies are girls aged sevento 10-years-old who meet regularly to take part in different activities and gain badges for activities they are interested in. To me, being a member of Girlguiding means that I am part of a charity that is truly special.
From rock climbing or chocolate-making at weekly meetings to large international camps, there is an experience for everyone.
One inspiring experience for me has been seeing the confidence that younger girls can gain. Walking into their first Brownie meeting as a shy seven-year-old and then moving up to Guides as a confident 10-year-old proves how amazing guiding is for girls.
I recently attended the launch event for the Girls' Attitudes Survey 2013, which has been published annually for the past five years and enables girls to shout out about what matters to them.
Attending this event added to my life experiences and allowed me to see just how important guiding is in changing girls' lives. I enjoyed meeting representatives from charities with a particular focus on women and young people, such as Women's Aid, Brook and the Fawcett Society. I was reassured to see how interested they were in the findings of the survey, to hear what girls have to say and what Girlguiding is planning for the future.
