Join the Girlguiding Council

Being a council member is a fantastic opportunity for you to shape Girlguiding’s future.  Council is a crucial part of Girlguiding, it’s where members from all countries and regions can come together and talk about guiding, bringing a diverse range of views and perspectives.  They ensure that members’ voices are heard and are at the heart of our organisation.  This opportunity is a great step for anyone who wants to become more involved in Girlguiding at a UK level.  Applications are now open for 1 member from Girlguiding Cymru aged 14 to 25 years to join the Girlguiding Council.

Closing date for applications and nominations is
12 midnight on Sunday, 12 April 2026.

Application and nomination forms to be sent to waleshq@girlguidingcymru.org.uk

What does the council do?

The role of Council is to provide a forum for its members from all countries and regions to engage with Girlguiding at a national level.

Our Council meets once a year for an annual general meeting (AGM) – usually June.

Here members have the chance to review and discuss the annual report of the board of trustees , and our annual financial accounts. We also sometimes ask members to meet and give their opinions on other important issues that come up throughout the year.

The Council formally appoints our president, vice-presidents and patrons too, plus agrees the process for choosing our chief guide. Members also sign off any changes to the documents that set out how Girlguiding should work (our Royal Charter and Bye-laws).

Council plays an important role in being engaged at and between meetings on matters that affect the organisation. Sometimes, this means helping make big decisions, like changing the rules to create a separate Chair of the Board position.

Other times, itʼs about sharing information, gathering opinions, and getting input— like talking to members about our environmental strategy.

Our Council is made up of different kinds of members so it represents everyone at Girlguiding. Members from our countries and regions (known as ‘elected membersʼ) work alongside members who are on our Council because of their role (‘ex officio membersʼ). These include our chief guide, deputy chief guide and chief commissioners.

Each of Girlguidingʼs countries and regions has four places on our Council for elected members. Council members serve for three years to begin with. They can then stay on the Council for another three years if their country/region wants them to.

Council members must be aged 14 or over when they start their term.