The Girls' Brigade Ireland
The Girls’ Brigade Ireland is an International, Interdenominational Youth Organisation which strives to help girls develop new skills, knowledge and confidence in a safe and fun environment.
Member Q&A
What is your goal?
The Girls’ Brigade Ireland is an International, Interdenominational Youth Organisation which strives to help girls develop new skills, knowledge and confidence in a safe and fun environment.
How have you been working towards it?
The Girls' Brigade Ireland started in 1893 in Sandymount in Dublin. We have been adapting and evolving our programmes to meet the needs of girls and young women ever since. We offer a four-pillar programme that includes physical education, spirituality, lifeskills development, and community service, to girls aged 2-18. This usually consists of weekly youth groups with a huge variety of activities including dance, performing arts, bible studies, crafts, sports, outings, cooking, first aid, fundraising and volunteering. Since the start of the pandemic we have had to completely change how we work in order to keep our members and volunteers safe. Many of our groups are now meeting online, others are sending out activity packs for girls to do at home.
How has being a member of The Wheel helped?
It's great to be kept up to date of what's happening in the wider C&V sector. We have also availed of training and information webinars.
How can people support you?
We are always seeking new volunteers to help out in our youth groups. Mentoring from experienced leaders is provided. We are also interested in opening new youth groups in more towns around Ireland once we can get back to meeting in person. Many of our groups are taking new members, even now while we are meeting online. We're also happy to hear from people with specific skills who would like to volunteer to join our online classes to teach a session (e.g. cooking, drama, craft, first aid, all ideas welcome!)
Do you have any success stories to share?
Our volunteers have adapted amazingly to delivering our programmes online! Our Tallaght group started a wonderful project of knitting hearts to give to patients in Tallaght hospital who couldn't have visitors, www.girlsbrigadeirl.ie/covid-hearts/
This ended up being featured as an example of "best practice" in a National Youth Council of Ireland publication
https://www.youth.ie/articles/covidreport/
Groups found ways to celebrate milestones and the girls' achievements in a distanced way with drivethrough celebrations and prizegivings
https://www.girlsbrigadeirl.ie/prizegiving-sligo/
At Christmas, our members from all over the country came together to form a wonderful virtual choir
https://www.girlsbrigadeirl.ie/christmas2020/
Where can people find you on social media?
Website: www.girlsbrigadeirl.ie
Facebook: The Girls' Brigade Ireland
Twitter: @GirlsBrigadeIrl
