And we’re part of a family. Girlguiding is our masterbrand, it’s the look, feel and tone of our charity. It's how we create the right impressions and connect with the people who can make us stronger: our people, volunteers, partners, supporters and other organisations. We help all girls know' shows that we offer girls a world of possibilities and that we’re helping to shape a future where all girls can be happy, safe, and fulfilled.

About our brand | Girlguiding

Right now, guiding has never been more needed. We believe all girls deserve equal opportunities. We help build confidence in girls. And we’re a powerful collective voice – with girls, led by girls – changing the world for the better. But we know that Girlguiding can help change this. Girls in Girlguiding are more confident than their peers: nearly 9 in 10 of them say they like being the way they are (compared with just 6 in 10 who have never been in Girlguiding). You might be surprised to discover that the first female cosmonaut went into space 55 years ago in 1963. That’s just two years after Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space when he orbited the Earth in the spacecraft Vostok. This was achieved by promoting women into apprenticeships. In late 1985 over 300 women had taken up apprenticeships in non-traditional jobs. 1980s By 1981 one-third of married women were in full-time employment, nearly twice the proportion in 1961. Women continued to dominate professions such as nursing and primary teaching, but by 1981 they also accounted for a fifth of lawyers and doctors, compared to 3% a generation earlier. Though separate pay scales for men and women had been abolished in 1972, in 1985 women were still paid 22% less per hour than men. In 1980 the New Zealand Federation of Labour adopted the Working Women’s Charter, sometimes called a ‘bill of rights’ for working women. By the mid-1980s the government’s Employment and Vocational Guidance Service was actively promoting the catch-cry, 'Girls Can Do Anything ’.We’ve been by girls’ sides for over a century – but we’re just getting started. Today, we’re squarely focused on what drives, challenges and excites girls here and now, and in the future. Girls are at the heart of all that we do. We’re excited to be moving forward together, into a future where all girls know that they can do anything. As we’re a family, all our sections have the Girlguiding masterbrand characteristics of curious and courageous, but each section also has its own unique personality: Karen shared that guiding is also a supportive and encouraging space for the adult leaders as well. She said: “Whether it’s sharing an achievement or sharing a difficult situation, or perhaps helping out at a meeting, there is support, camaraderie and encouragement within the leadership team. There is also an online community of support, with a number of online groups that offer support with meeting ideas and solutions.” I also think Hart did a good job empowering girls without discrediting "traditional" feminine things like dresses or being a dancer or teacher. A multitude of interests are represented from gymnastics to skateboarding, being an astronaut or a violinist. The girls are dressed in different ways, such as tutus, skirts, pants, board shorts. The book really shows that there is no "right" way to be a girl as long as you are yourself.

About the Author – Girls Can Do Anything

Reading graduate, Karen Dwyer, has been volunteering with Girlguiding for nearly 45 years. Her longstanding commitment is inspired by her love of Girlguiding and helping young girls grow into confident women. This Girls Can Do Anything poster came from a 1984 Labour Department programme initiative called, Positive Action Programme for Women.Our brand purpose is at the heart of everything we do - we help all girls know they can do anything.

Girls Can Do Anything: An Empowering Book for Children Girls Can Do Anything: An Empowering Book for Children

Girlguiding offers a safe, inclusive space for all girls – one where they can try new things with friends they trust and volunteers they look up to. This will give them courage, connections, confidence, and memories they’ll never forget. And when girls feel confident, they are more likely to know that they can do anything. What we’re doing – our new look and feel Hart's text is simplistic, straightforward, and poetic. Written in rhyme, it is a book about how girls can do anything from being an astronaut to a deep-sea diver and everything in-between. Pye's illustration is beautifully rendered and is the soul of the book. I really loved that the girls depicted comes in all shapes, sizes, abilities, and ethnicity – all with one thing in common – that they are all girls. She said: “I have many memories of the girls I’ve volunteered with over my years with Girlguiding, particularly those who have joined us very shy and have thrived during their time with us. Did you see that BBC series last summer, Astronauts: Do You Have What it Takes? It featured a group of people that went through the same training that NASA astronauts and the person who won it was supposed to be invited to apply to be a real astronaut. Well, it was won by a woman called Suzie Imber, a professor of planetary science at Leicester University. What I really liked about the series was that each contestant excelled at something different. And that the people you thought might not stand a chance, turned out to be some of the strongest. The point is, you could not predict who would win. Just as you cannot predict which children will achieve their dreams, whatever they may be.

Fertile questions 

Which brings me to Karen Gaffney. She’s the first person with Down’s syndrome to complete a relay swim of the English Channel – or La Manche if you’re on the other side. She is also the first person with Down’s syndrome to receive a doctorate, which was awarded to her by the University of Portland for her work in raising awareness of the abilities of people with her condition. She is one of an increasing number of people that are changing perceptions of people with Down’s and for that she truly deserves her place in our gallery. What do you want to be when you grow up? An astronaut of course! Yes, but you won’t ever become an astronaut. Or a professional footballer or a famous YouTuber or a film star or a pop star. At least, that’s what hundreds of children will hear from adults they trust. They will be told that their dreams are not for them. That they are not good enough to achieve those dreams. That these are things other people do. But if we tell them this, then we are crushing their ambition and robbing them of the drive that could actually propel them to become those things they dream of. Or, of becoming something else that they want to do more. I was never all that good at history. The school curriculum in the late 70s and early 80s left a great deal to be desired, being mostly either about the first and second world wars, or medieval medicine – a course of leeches anyone? If you are a teenager, or parent of teens, you won’t be surprised to learn that these are still hot topics on the whiteboards of today’s GCSE students. Can do anything’ works on 2 levels. It’s the huge variety of activities girls can do with us week in and week out. And it’s the attitude we encourage in each girl – a way of thinking about themselves and the world they live in. Karen tells CONNECTED that being a Leader in Girlguiding involves running weekly meetings, planning, resourcing and delivering a range of fun activities. Alongside working with the girls there is also the administrative responsibilities, such as keeping accounts, letters to parents, managing a team of volunteers and risk assessments. She said: “Occasionally there is the fun of organising a sleepover or camp holiday which I really enjoy.”