On 2nd December 2025, a significant alteration was made to Girlguiding UK's Equality and Diversity policy, meaning trans girls and young women will no longer be able to join Girlguiding. To face this change with integrity and to honour the promise I made as a Girlguiding leader, I must take action. It's crucial that we elevate our inclusivity and stand by the trans community.

A solution: amending The Guide Association’s charitable objects to include transgendered young people and adults, and change its operating name from ‘Girlguiding UK’ to 'Guiding UK’ (or back to ‘The Guide Association’ - the official registered name with the Charity Commission). This simple yet impactful change could address legal implications arising from the 2025 supreme court ruling concerning the definitions of 'girl' and 'woman'. Updating the charitable objectives to a more inclusive wording, while removing the specific and legally-binding term ‘girl’ from branding should enable a wider range of gender identities including trans girls to join The Guide Association.

The Guide Association’s current Charitable objects are:
TO PROMOTE THE EDUCATION OF GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN TO HELP THEM DEVELOP EMOTIONALLY, MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND THE WIDER WORLD.

‘Guiding UK’ would have the same crucial aim to provide safe-space and personal development for young people united through shared experiences of identifying as, or growing up as a girl, but regardless of their assignment at birth.

This change follows a commendable precedent set by the UK Scouts in 1967, when they transitioned from ‘The Boy Scouts Association’ to simply ‘The Scout Association’, enabling them to more easily embrace an all-gender inclusive movement across all sections when they updates their governing document’s objects from 2007 onwards. Similarly, in 1994, The Girl Guide Association dropped ‘girl’ from their formal name to become ‘The Guide Association’. ‘Girlguiding UK’ was introduced as an operating name and brand identity in 2002.

The Scouts' decision nearly 60 years ago to remove references to sex or gender from their name allowed them to build a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Now, it's time for Girlguiding UK to take this crucial step towards inclusivity and equality, ensuring that our cherished organisation evolves with the changing societal landscape through dropping ‘girl’ from their brand identity. The fundamental foundation stones are already in place as The Guide Association.

‘Guiding UK’ should continue to provide a safe, non-judgmental space where members can be themselves with other self-defining girls and share the experience of growing up as a self-defined girl in today’s world, where they face a unique and unprecedented set of issues. 

As such, the move to ‘Guiding UK’ should be followed with updating programme and training materials with inclusive language for all self-defining girls, not just those recognised by law (e.g. referring to young members not by their sex or gender, but by their section - Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers, Young Leaders, Leaders etc).

This is more than just a name and language change—it's an affirmation of commitment to inclusivity and diversity, staying true to values that resonate deeply with the Guiding promise to do our best for others. Removing the term ‘girl’ and becoming simply ‘Guiding UK’ could allow the association more freedom to self-define inclusion policies without being centrally bound by the legal definition of ‘girl’.

By making this change, Girlguiding UK stands in solidarity with trans girls and non-gender conforming young members who already face exclusion and discrimination.

Please sign this petition to show your support for changing the name of Girlguiding UK to 'Guiding UK’ for the above mentioned reasons, and support for introducing inclusive language to programme and training materials, marking a pivotal step towards a more inclusive future for all.