Girlguiding's new badges are a vital ‘woke' revamp for Gen Alpha
And rather than demonstrating a strong knowledge of the deep blue sea, the ocean floor and associated trade routes, as their young bearers needed to do in 1935; or the 1943 challenge of 'keeping rabbits for one year, including rearing a litter' – the charity, which is the largest youth organisation in the UK dedicated to empowering girls and young women, has gone modern (and as some critics would say, 'woke'). And it's about time, too.
In a nod to a new generation of wannabe vloggers and YouTubers, Gen Alpha can now swap the old-fashioned Book Lover badge (which used to specify reading six books from a list of authors like Mary Molesworth, Charlotte May Yongel and AA Milne) for BookTok to earn a Book Reviewer or Blogging badge.
There's even a brand new books and activism (or, Booktivist) badge! How fitting for 2025 – an age when we've become accustomed to Just Stop Oil chucking soup at priceless Van Gogh works of art; when Youth Demand activists are getting arrested for sharing biscuits at Quaker meeting houses; when hundreds are battling heavy rain each weekend to protest for Palestine.
Young people are impassioned and active – and Girlguiding, uniquely, appreciates that. In fact, the organisation says that Rangers (members aged 14-18) will now be able to take their reading habits to the next level by exploring 'what empowers them through books,' such as 'feminism, stories by Black British authors or the environment'.
Right on. Girlguiding was never this cool when I was at school.
I remember quite distinctly the disgust I felt when I realised my first Brownies uniform was actually brown (the clue was in the name, but there we go). I also have vague memories of a church hall, a mirror on the floor representing water, and a lot of outdoor pursuits.
My hatred of camping remains well-documented to this day, as does the memory of falling in the King George's Reservoir where we went to practice kayaking (the horror, the horror). My leader decided it would be a really fun game to make us get out of the boats to race up and down the length of the kayaks, right next to the sign warning us there was 'toxic blue-green algae' in the water. Fabulous. Is there a Dunking badge I should have earned?
Reluctantly, I will admit that being a Brownie was mostly life-affirming and quite fun – if more than a little damp. I still have fond, if reluctant, memories of trying – and failing – to build a fire out of soggy sticks and flint; of getting completely lost in the woods because none of my group knew how to use a compass or the meaning of the word 'orienteering'; and of eating cold beans out of a tin because of the aforementioned fire failure.
But we're not in the 1990s anymore. There's a whole new digital, Taylor Swift-infused world out there in 2025 – and I applaud Girlguiding's attempts to keep up with the times.
It's not only refreshing, it's vital. If an organisation like Girlguides doesn't modernise and appeal to a very different generation this time around, it risks dying out altogether. And who will be getting their Healthy Sleep, Clean Planet and Laughter or Fandom badges then?
What's more, the organisation has proven that it really understands what's important to teens today. What use is a Hostess badge – earned by putting on a tea party – in 2025?
Gen Alpha are impassioned mini- Greta Thunbergs, and they really care about the climate crisis. The stats prove it: almost two-thirds of the youngest job seekers have expressed interest in pursuing 'green' jobs, according to recent data, while college administrators say soaring numbers of students are pursuing environmental-related degrees and careers.
Other research has shown that younger generations – including us wizened old millennials and Gen-Zers, all radicalised by Blue Peter – experience greater levels of fear, guilt and outrage about the impacts of climate change compared to older Gen-X, baby boomer and post-war groups.
With that in mind, the new Girlguiding Bee Rescuer or Conscious Consumer badges are spot on. We don't live in Enid Blyton times anymore – given the racism and xenophobia, it's just as well – we live in a world in which screens are second-nature to our kids; where I get eye-rolls from my 13-year-old because I have no idea how to set a self-timer, let alone use Snapchat – and if I did use Snapchat, she'd be mortified.
It is a world in which more young boys than ever are listening to the likes of Andrew Tate and where lessons on misogyny have joined the curriculum; where programmes like Adolescence have become mandatory viewing (even according to the prime minister). With the very tricky trials facing girls today, we need My Voice and My Views badges more than ever.
That's what Girlguiding is doing: modernising the way they interact with young people. Speaking their language. After all, what use is an organisation for girls if nobody wants to join it?
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