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Formed in 1910, after a barrage of pressure from enthusiastic young girls keen to join the Scout movement, the Girl Guides aims to give young girls an opportunity to be challenged by new experiences and meet new people.

With over 6700 guiding members in Suffolk a huge amount of commitment and dedication is required from leaders such as Ruth Lewis, Guide Leader at the 1st Walton unit and Suffolk County Centenary Champion, who help to keep units running.

"I'm lucky, I work part time and my company are excellent听and they help me out," said Ruth.

Janet and Ruth Lewis

"I've been involved with Guiding for 20 years as a Guide Leader but I've been a Guide and a Brownie."

Despite the ongoing popularity of guiding in Suffolk and large waiting lists to join various units, many groups, particularly in rural areas, are under threat due to low volunteer numbers.

With events such as camps and craft workshops taking place, as well as the build up to the Guiding Centenary in 2010, the need for volunteers is more apparent than ever and many units across the county are under pressure from girls wishing to move up the guiding ranks.

"The problem we have at the moment is that we have 595 girls on waiting lists, waiting either to join the Rainbows or to move up sections.

"When we're getting to the stage when units might have to close it is just such a shame and what we're saying to people is that they don't actually have to be a Guide Leader, if they can just help."

Many issues have arisen across the county in the hunt for leaders due to the age limit imposed by Girlguiding UK, whose policy on Unit Leaders reads:

Guiding flag

"Girlguiding UK is determined to remain relevant to modern girls and young women and therefore believes that it is important for our young members to relate to Leaders within a defined age range as well as benefiting from the experience of older volunteers."

"I do know that some units in the Southwold area are under threat because obviously we do have an age policy.

"It鈥檚 an issue with Girlguiding UK and we're hoping they might try and review it, because there are some 65 plus ladies who've got so much knowledge and so much life.

"We're starting to get groups which have over 40 girls which is nice but it is quite difficult to run," explained Ruth.

The Centenary celebrations will begin across the country in September 2009 and Ruth, who is the Suffolk County Centenary Champion, is planning a range of events in Suffolk.

"In the run up to the Centenary we'll be fundraising because obviously a lot of the things we're going to do nationally are going to cost and we don't want the girls to pay to much for things.

"Rainbows will do things like pink parties, the Brownies we think will take over things, possibly a radio station, there's going to be garden parties and there's going to be a big national camp in 2010."

The Girl Guides, along with the Brownies and Rainbows, were represented at the 2008 Suffolk Show, in a bid to attract new members.

Their colourful stand gave the girls an opportunity to share what is important for them about being a Guide.

Guiding stand at the 2008 Suffolk Show

"I had this mad idea that I wanted as many girls as possible to put as many hands down as possible and tell me what they thought about Guiding in Suffolk," said Ruth.

"I've ended up with 2754 hands which I've had to cut out and laminate and I thought I'd have a look and see what these hands say and a lot of them are coming out with words like exciting, fun, friendship and that they love the badge work."

Ruth hopes that the various units throughout Suffolk can begin to encourage new volunteers and that people realise they can make a difference in many ways.

"I think people think it is just too much to commit to but it really isn't, we just ask if people can help us with a badge or with the books, at our unit (1st Walton in Felixstowe) personally that would really help.

"Sometimes it can be something like someone saying, 'I can come and talk to your girls for an hour would that be of any interest?' and people sometimes think the things that they do won't be of any interest but believe me they are.

"We've just had a bank come and talk to the girls about how to open a bank account and we also took them shopping so that they know how to budget.

"They did say that they would stop begging mum for the best things and re-look at things as a result."