Wednesday December 7, 2011

By GEORGIA GRAHAM

IN these days of thift and make-do-and-mend the skills of girl guiding should be more popular than ever.

But the 2nd West Hampstead troupe is fearing for its future this week after it's numbers dwindled to… just one.

The group's new scout leader Daisy Surgey is just 25 and raring to go and is taking on the same guide group she joined at the age of 11 – but what she really needs now is some guides to join in and come and play.

“I cannot express enough how much Guiding has helped me grow as a person and continues to," she said.

But being a Guide is not just about building confidence – Ms Surgey is a thoroughly modern scout leader. She likes kitsch fashion and says her millions of vintage broaches make her a master at pinning on sashes.

Yet Miranda Jones, 11, is the last guide left in the group. She met with Ms Surgey at the group's base at St Luke's Church in Kiddapore Avenue, Hampstead, this week. Together, they fear the fact Scouts now let girls join the has helped cause the decline in membership.

Joan Hathaway, 53, who has been involved in Brownies and Guides for over 45 years says girls still want to be girls – and get some time away from the boys.

She said: “This is girl-led guiding and the girls have always loved that. They don't just do cooking, or craft making we go camping, we get in the outdoors and do sports and activities."

Ms Hathaway added: “It is all about what the girls want to do, to be positive together and there is a real feeling that we need to protect it as a girl only space where girl can feel safe and protected but also have a lot of fun.”

Miranda, from Agamemnon Road, is the last remaining full time girl guide in the troupe and is determined to carry on.

She said: “I get to go on camps, on adventures and I get to do things that I really like to do like cooking.”

Liz De Freitas who has lived in West Hampstead for decades was the Leader of the 2nd West Hampstead Guides for 24 years. In the years since she has retired from leading at Guides, interest has dropped and numbers have slowly declined. She said: “Our unit was always very lively. The girls were competitive and enjoyed a challenge. Of course, we too had our bad times when numbers dropped but it’s a difficult age group to retain. They are going through a huge change at this age, starting secondary school but that’s why Guides is so important.”

Next week Miranda will get to go ice-skating – although for now she'll have to join up with the younger girls in Brownies until local tweens and teens answer the 2nd West Hampstead's Guides rallying call.

* For more information about becoming a 2^nd West Hampstead girl guide visit: astitchinteatime.wordpress.com