The highest award in Guides, the Baden Powell Award, has been presented to eleven girls in the Malmesbury Division for the very last time.

Under the new Girlguiding programme of activities and challenges, it is being replaced with the Guide ‘Gold’ award.

The new programme aims to make Girlguiding more relevant and engaging for girls today.

Seven girls from 1st Great Somerford Guides and four girls from 1st Sherston Guides achieved the award by completing ten challenges from different categories.

Amongst them were global awareness, discovery, celebrating diversity and disability awareness.

The challenges put the girls in the leaders’ shoes, planning activities for their units, using organisational skills, problem solving, communicating effectively, and running them with supervision but minimal guidance.

They also had to take part in a weekend away completing challenges and problem solving activities in an unfamiliar location.

The Guides who were presented with their badges at 1st Great Somerford Guides are Daisy, Bethany, Emma, Eleanor, Cate, Jean and Katy.

At 1st Sherston Guides Keren Simpkins, Emilia Snowden, Polly Snowden, and Zoe Ward all achieved the award.

The Sherston Guides’ challenges included organising a games evening for 21 girls, running Fairtrade activities, and inviting a guest in for a disability awareness question and answer session.

The new Girlguiding programme offers a wide range of different activities based on six themes; Have Adventures, Know Myself, Express Myself, Be Well, Take Action, and Skills for my Future.

Guides at units in the Malmesbury area enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities from camping to watersports.