Published

Girls' Attitudes Survey 2017

Girls in helmets cheering

Girlguiding's 2017 Girls' Attitudes Survey, published this month, is the largest piece of annual research on girls' and young women's issues, priorities and thoughts available today.

Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK, with over 400,000 young members in communities across the UK. The 2017 survey involved over 1,900 girls and young women aged between 7 and 21 who were asked about their attitudes on a range of issues from health and wellbeing to relationships and careers.

Empowering girls and young women

Ensuring that girls and young women are confident and empowered is a huge part of what Girlguiding is about and its 9th annual Girls' Attitudes Survey shows that there is still urgent work to be done.

PGL is proud to support the work that Girlguiding is doing and to give its members opportunities at our activity centres to develop their self-esteem and raise their aspirations whilst having fun.

Feeling positive

Half the girls surveyed said that spending time with friends was what made them feel positive and almost a quarter said it was doing sport and being outdoors - all things that make up a big part of a residential PGL trip.

The benefits of a PGL adventure

Sharing rooms and taking part in outdoor activities like raft building or problem solving, or even singing songs around a campfire, is a great way for Brownies or Guides to get to know each other better and form strong bonds.

As part of a residential at PGL, Brownie and Guide groups are likely to meet other packs during their stay and it's a great chance for not only the girls to make friends, but the leaders too! It's the perfect time to chat and share ideas.

Linda Mason, leader with the 7th & 14th Penarth Brownies went on a Brownie Exclusive Weekend at PGL Tregoyd last year, and saw the friendships blossom in her Brownie pack: "It was great to see our girls working together as a whole pack". Steph Horsley, Leader with 1st Llanharan Brownies who also enjoyed a residential experience at PGL alongside a neighbouring pack from their local town, said: "It was a great opportunity to get to know the other members of our pack and our local pack, and develop those friendships more."

"We absolutely loved the campfire on Saturday night. We sat on log benches, sang songs, and drank hot chocolate! The atmosphere was great and the PGL staff were so enthusiastic about their songs!"

Being outside and doing sport 

40% of the girls and young women surveyed said that they enjoyed taking part in sport because it made them feel more confident and positive. All PGL centres have a great range of activities, including archery, climbing, abseiling, raft building and fencing, many of which may be new to a lot of Brownies and Guides. For Leaders, it's reassuring to know that the activities are led by trained instructors and that each group will have the support of a Group Leader throughout their stay, taking some of the pressure off Brown Owl and her team.

Steph Horsley said, "Our PGL Group Leader was allocated on arrival and was with us throughout the weekend; only really leaving us to sort our bedtime and getting up routines - with her energy levels never wavering! She led the girls in games if there was any quiet time."

Girlguiding is doing great work, giving girls and young women a space where they can be themselves, have fun, build brilliant friendships, gain valuable life skills and make a positive difference to their lives and their communities. Combine this with a residential experience at a PGL centre and you have a powerful tool to help build girls' confidence, discover their full potential and encourage them to be a force for good.

Find out more about PGL Adventure experiences for Brownies and Guides and our Brownie Exclusive Weekends.

Read more about what other Girlguiding groups thought about their PGL experience.