GBNI featured in the Ulster Tatler
7th
February 2019
This year is a significant year for Girls’ Brigade Northern Ireland. As an organisation we are celebrating 125 years. We are delighted to have reached this momentous year and are enjoying celebrating with all our girls through a number of events. So far we have held a province-wide church service and a Leader’s Ball with up and coming events: Under5s & Explorer Zoo Day, Junior Fun Day at the Jungle NI and Generation 125 Festival for our Senior/Brigaders.
Girls’ Brigade is a Christian organisation for girls aged 3-18 years. We partner with local churches to provide a ministry amongst girls throughout Northern Ireland. For 125 years our motto has been to teach our girls to ‘Seek, Serve and Follow Christ’ and our vision is that Girls’ Brigade Northern Ireland will be recognised as a dynamic, relevant, Christ-centred organisation effectively reaching out to all girls to value, nurture and equip them for life.
With 287 companies (groups) and a total of 21,808 members we are one of the largest youth organisations in Northern Ireland.
Our membership is made up of 3,936 volunteers who lead and invest in our girls, week after week. These leaders are involved in preparing an excellent programme engaging girls and providing them with skills for life. Girls can also take part in camps, The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and young leadership training. We are a fun and exciting organisation which provides a full range of enjoyable activities. Our companies operate a varied programme in four key areas: Spiritual, Physical, Educational and Service. It is a great place to make and develop friendships that will last a lifetime.
As we celebrate 125 years, we are honoured to partner with another local charity, Fields of Life to provide funds to build the Karwa Centenary School, Kisoro, Uganda. Our goal is to raise £125,000 which will enable us to build a school, supplying furniture and textbooks, together with a nursery block, accommodation for staff and students and clean water source.
Once the school has fully opened, we hope that there will be mission opportunities for GB members to visit the school and assist in future development projects.
Throughout this celebratory year we have been humbled by listening to stories of how women’s lives have been impacted by Girls’ Brigade over the past years and it has been special to be reminded of those ladies who have gone before, whilst celebrating the present and all of our girls who are currently members within Girls’ Brigade.
Additionally, we are excited as an organisation to consider the potential of these girls whom we serve, and hope that we will inspire these young girls and the many who will follow to continue to Seek, Serve and Follow Christ.