I’m resigning from Girl Guides after 10 years – the recent changes broke my heart

Girlguiding has launched a new uniform for all its members with a focus on “self-expression, belonging and confidence”. The redesign, the first in over 30 years, was co-designed by the nearly 55,000 members, from the youngest girls in Rainbows (ages 4-7) to Rangers (ages 14-18). But the claims that the Girl Guides still celebrate self-expression are called into question by Amy Best-Rokins, a 32-year-old administrator from Barrow and volunteer at Girl Guides for nearly 10 years. Here, she explains why she is officially resigning on 6 September due to recent changes in the Girl Guides. Interview by Sadhbh O’Sullivan. Girlguiding UK was approached for comment for this article, but declined. The uniform change has been a long time coming: it’s in response to things people have complained about over the years and is part of Girlguiding trying to remain relevant. I know that a lot of the changes were made with the girls in mind. But it’s clear to me that the designs, in which the girls were involved, with a focus on inclusion, were all finalised before the announcement in March that trans girls and women had until September this year to leave the organisation. Shorts The change was made in December 2025, after the Supreme Court’s decision on sex and gender which ruled that girls and women are defined in the Equality Act 2010 by their biological sex at birth. Girlguiding’s governing charity documents set out that the membership and people who benefit from the organisation are girls and women. There are messages inside these new tops that say things like, “With girls, led by girls – changing the world for the better”. Seeing those made me really sad: at the time those designs were made, that was what Girlguiding was all about. I was so proud to be a part of Girlguiding because we included all girls: from all backgrounds and all natures. When I got married to my wife, we had a hen do with all the Brownies and the Guides where they could ask any questions and I was happy to answer them. Our units were safe spaces for all girls to express themselves. In the older groups there are girls who have told me in conversation that they think they might be queer or trans, and that’s because they feel safe with the Guides. Trans members have always been allowed in Girlguiding and there has never been an issue. So for the organisation to explicitly tell trans girls and women to leave doesn’t sit right with me. The inclusion announcement has broken the hearts of many, including members who aren’t trans. I know they were advised by lawyers that if they didn’t make the change they could be sued, but I do think the Girlguiding of old, which championed women’s rights, wouldn’t have agreed to it without a fight. I don’t know what is going on in the background, but to tell current trans members they have to leave is appalling. It feels wrong to me, which is why I’m officially resigning on 6 September, so HQ can’t say it’s due to normal factors. They will know it is because of the policy change. I was bullied at school. I was always considered different, and when I went to Guides for the first time at 10, I didn’t really know who I was as a person. I was always the kid that was picked last in PE or the annoying younger sister. Guides helped me to find my voice and find who I was. I had a space where I could be myself, make friends, and the leaders were there to guide all of us on a path to being a decent human being. It gave me the opportunity to go out and have fun, trying activities I wouldn’t do at home. And Scouts, as great as it is, isn’t a substitute. I believe girls need a space where they can be themselves and have their voices heard and not be distracted or spoken over: you see it when you take a group of girls out to the park. They’ll be happy as Larry until a group of boys goes past, and then they suddenly go quiet and can’t focus because they’re aware the boys might be watching them. I needed that safe space. It’s why I then became a leader: so that all other girls get that chance of friendship I desperately needed at their age. It’s become a key part of my life: half of the people at my wedding were people I met through Girlguiding. Now, the message the girls and the adults are getting, as their friends are being made to leave or their leaders are being demoted, is that there is a ‘wrong’ way to be a girl or to be different. I know of one parent who had to explain to her five-year-old daughter why she couldn’t be with her friends next term because she’s trans. They were absolutely heartbroken – imagine being five and having to learn that you’re viewed as a threat just because you don’t fit into a specific box, having to hide who you are in case you get threatened. And on 6 September, all trans women who are leaders are expected to leave or, if they stay, be demoted to unit helpers. I got my Queen’s Guide Award earlier this year – the highest award you can work towards in Guiding – and, at my presentation, I publicly resigned due to the announcement. Everyone came up to me afterwards and said they agreed it was awful, they wished it wasn’t the case etc., but they can’t change HQ’s mind. I told my Brownies and my Guides that I was leaving because Girlguiding made an unfortunate decision to exclude some girls, and I was following my beliefs. Some thought it was really sad and couldn’t believe it. One of them remarked: “Is it the 21st century or not?” Another, 10 years old, said “they thought Girlguiding was supposed to be inclusive”. I’m not the only one who’s leaving: members, both adults and some of the older girls have left since the announcement, though there are no official numbers. Some Ranger groups have decided to leave in solidarity too. I have loved Girlguiding, and if they reverse this decision I’ll be straight back. The Girlguiding law states that I’m a sister to all Guides, and that’s how I view it: not just the sisters that are deemed ‘acceptable’ by certain people. Until Girlguiding gets back to its true values, I will not be a part of it.