The Countess of Wessex was joined by her daughter, Lady Louise, on Friday, to open Girlguiding’s new headquarters in London.
Girlguiding asked its president, Sophie, to open their new HQ on Buckingham Palace Road. The building has a different theme relating to the different sections of Girlguiding on each floor, and a boutique hotel adjoins it, to help raise funds to sustain the organisation.
Julie Bentley, Chief Executive of Girlguiding said: “Our London HQ is one of Girlguiding’s most important assets. The decision to lease part of our building as a hotel will enable us to retain this wonderful building, while also ensuring we can utlilise the income for the benefit of our half-a-million members.”
Sophie was due to attend the engagement on Friday on her own, but took her daughter along as she was a Brownie and is now a Guide. The Countess, too, was once a Brownie, and wore her guiding brooch for the event.
The mother-daughter duo attended a tea party at Buckingham Palace together for the Brownies in July 2014, to celebrate the junior section of organisation’s 100th birthday.
During the visit, the Countess, 51, unveiled a commemorative plaque at the refurbished headquarters to mark the occasion. She also gave a speech in which she said the charity was ‘lucky to have such a vibrant society of girls’.
The pair were seen getting their hands dirty as they had a go at craft Sophie also handed out a Silver Fish award – the highest accolade for adults in Girlguiding – to Angela Milln, deputy chief guide.
The mother-daughter duo attended a tea party at Buckingham Palace together for the Brownies in July 2014, to celebrate the junior section of organisation’s 100th birthday.
The guiding group – also the UK’s leading organisation for young girls – has often been associated with camping and crafts, but recently, the organisation has taken a different route. It is campaigning against Page 3 modes and promoting body confidence in the younger generation.
