Shine A Light - Guides and Scouts in Wexford Helping Young People Build Confidence, Skills and Lifelong Friendships

Girl Guides and Scouts across County Wexford are continuing to give young people opportunities to build confidence, resilience, independence and leadership skills — while also creating friendships that can last for life.

Members of Summerhill and Piercestown Girl Guides and the 35th Wexford Kilmore Scouts have been speaking to Shine A Light on South East Radio about what the organisations offer young people today.

Summerhill and Piercestown Guides cater for girls from early childhood through to their teenage years, with activities ranging from camps and outdoor adventure to cooking, badges, international travel and leadership opportunities.

Leaders say the movement also provides an important space away from the pressures of school, social media and everyday life.

Girl Guide leaders in Wexford say they are still seeing some of the effects of the Covid pandemic, with smaller numbers in certain older age groups because children who would normally have joined during those years did not come through the younger sections.

However, they say participation is building again.

Kilmore Scouts, meanwhile, are celebrating a particularly successful year.

The group won the County Shield for the first time in 12 years, achieved Gold Standard at the Phoenix Challenge and received the Spirit of the Subcamp Award, one of just eight groups from 88 to do so.

Scouts are taught everything from first aid and survival skills to cooking, pioneering, teamwork and leadership, with young members encouraged to learn by doing and to take real responsibility.

One senior Kilmore Scout is also preparing to represent County Wexford at the World Scout Jamboree in Poland.

Around 50,000 Scouts from across the world are expected to attend, with the young Wexford Scout joining the Irish contingent as the only participating Scout from the county.

Both the Guides and Scouts say one of the biggest benefits of getting involved is the sense of belonging, along with the chance to develop life skills, try new experiences and build lasting friendships.

Hear the full conversations on Shine A Light with Siobhan Murphy on South East Radio every Wednesday at 8pm and afterwards on the Shine A Light podcast on the website or wherever you find your podcasts

Funded by the news reporting scheme