Girl Guides visit Portstewart to mark organisation's 100 years

Girlguidng Ulster has embarked on a bonanza of girl-led activities, events and challenges as they join in the fun of The Senior Section Spectacular.

Girlguiding’s Senior Section is open to all girls aged 14 to 25, offering a host of amazing opportunities to older girls in guiding – from international travel and outdoor adventure sports to peer mentoring, advocacy and leadership skills.

Over the years, Senior Section members have witnessed the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, swum the Channel, attended the UN Convention on the Status of Women and represented Great Britain at the Olympics.

To launch their 100 years of adventure, Girlguiding Ulster held a province wide treasure hunt weekend, with the end destination being Portstewart Guide Hall.

Teams took on the challenge of ‘Connecting the Counties’ by embarking on a trail through dozens of different local attractions and landmarks completing fun activities on the way such as building a human pyramid, dancing the tango and finding hidden treasure.

Arriving in Portstewart, the girls held a party with food, more games and of course a birthday cake. They even braved the elements to visit Morelli’s ice cream parlour and take a walk on the Strand.

Other Girlguiding Ulster Spectacular events include a visit to Disneyland Paris at Easter and Our Chalet, one of Guiding’s world centres in Switzerland in July.

A party dash to Scotland where Senior Section members will get the chance to celebrate with their Scottish counterparts with plenty of activities, ferry festivities and brilliant banter. A prom party at Lorne House, Girlguiding Ulster’s headquarters and a Formal at the Wellington Park Hotel Belfast will round off the year’s celebrations in November.

Senior Section members have been involved at every stage of planning for the year of celebration making decisions in everything from event design and activities to logistics. The Senior Section enables girls and young women aged 14 to 25 to be involved with Girlguiding in a flexible way, with each young woman choosing her own level of commitment; from attending a Senior Section group to training as a Young Leader with Girlguiding’s younger sections, Rainbows (5-7 years), Brownies (7-10) and Guides (10-14).