Each month we shine a light on a Christian charity or ministry that either directly serves children or youth in some way, or those aiming to support them, whether in a full-time, part-time or volunteer capacity.
Purpose
Our mission is that GBM, through fun and friendship, empowers children and young people to seek out opportunities, serve their communities and follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Location
GBM has around 345 community groups, reaching around 6,000 children and young people, run by 2,500 volunteer leaders across England and Wales. The GBM Support Centre, where the staff team are based, is in Derbyshire.
Founding date
The Girls’ Brigade (Ireland) was set up in Dublin in 1893 and, in July 1965, merged with The Girls’ Guildry (founded in Scotland in 1900) and The Girls’ Life Brigade (founded in England in 1902) to form The Girls’ Brigade. All organisations set out to offer significant opportunities for girls and young women, as well as giving them Christian teaching, and Girls’ Brigade has continued to do so ever since. In 2017, Girls’ Brigade Ministries became the operating name of Girls’ Brigade England and Wales.
We are successful when…
…our members develop – this could be growing their faith, increasing their confidence, creating friendships, building resilience or by learning new life skills. Recently we’ve heard stories of a GB member raising money for a local hospice by knitting little hats and selling them to her friends and family, and of GB members going on camps and to the Coronation.
We know of several former GB members who are now in training to be ministers in various denominations and we’re always excited to hear from former GB members who say the skills they learnt in GB enabled them to do what they’re doing now – such as the first female helm at a RNLI lifeboat station, an MP, a university lecturer and being selected for the England girls’ golf squad. We also love hearing about our amazing volunteers, especially when they’re recognised with awards for their commitment and the role they play in empowering children and young people.
Things are tricky when…
…people haven’t heard of us or assume we’re the same organisation we were 30 years ago – we’ve evolved to meet the needs of this current generation of children and young people. It’s also tricky when GB community groups don’t have enough volunteer leaders to offer more spaces and so we’re always on the lookout for people who might want to join in with our work.
Hopes for the future
We have a strategic plan, between 2022-2027, that focuses on three areas – people, profile and sustainability. We take a relational approach to our work, whether that’s when in contact with children and young people, volunteers or our staff team and we want our people to feel valued and to be equipped for the role they are called to in the work of our ministry.
We want to raise the profile and perception of GBM across all areas of life, so that we are seen as a vibrant, proactive and relevant 21st-century organisation, motivated through our Christian faith, to help children and young people live ‘life to the full’ in all aspects of their lives. And we want an organisation with a fit-for-purpose structure and that is funded so that we can continue to reach future generations of children and young people. We pray we can achieve these goals.
How you can contact us
You can contact us via our website or by calling 01246 582322. We’d love to hear from prospective volunteers or new members.
