What do you want to see in our new uniform?
It’s your uniform, and we want to know what you think
It’s been a few months now since we introduced our refreshed brand.
It’s been helping us clearly communicate who we are and what we stand for, and helps make us feel more relevant.
Through fun new icons, as well as bold and lively colours, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers now each have their own distinct identity. Today, we feel more like a family. We’re currently working together through a changeover period over the next two years that will see more of our materials, resources and products gradually updated to be in the new brand. We’re doing this slowly to help us all save money, and minimise as much waste as possible.
As we look ahead to the future, one of the things we’re starting to think about is our new uniform.
Why we're changing the uniform
We updated our new brand because we knew that we’re facing big challenges in our mission to grow and thrive. Our research with non-members showed there’s a gap between what members know and what the public thinks about us. More people know our two biggest sections, Brownies and Guides. But many know less about Rainbows, Rangers or Girlguiding. If a parent or potential volunteer had never been a Brownie or Guide, they are less likely to have heard of us. Potential parents told us they didn’t know that Brownies is connected to Guides and Rangers.
One of the best ways we can show that we have something to offer girls of all ages is through our uniform. It’s the thing that people see when we’re out and about in local communities, doing activities and trying new things. And we need to know that it appeals to girls from lots of different backgrounds. As we were researching how members feel about our brand, we noticed that many girls, particularly older ones, were telling us that they didn’t like lots of things about our current uniform. We’ve already started talking to girls about uniform through focus groups, and they’re telling us how excited they are for an update, and already sharing lots of their own great ideas!
Now that our brand looks more like a family, we need to think about how to update our uniform to better express the modern, bold and vibrant organisation we are today.
Our uniform principles
There are lots of things that are important for us to think about as we begin the design process. We’ve already started carrying out focus groups with not just girls and young leaders, but also parents and carers, and volunteers. From this, we’ve identified 5 big things that will help guide every decision we make on the new uniform:
- It should be inclusive and affordable. Uniform should be a social equaliser and it shouldn’t present any barriers to any girl or adult who wants to wear it.
- It should be sustainable. We want to explore designs that help us support the lowest environmental impact possible.
- It should get across who we are. It should help to show what our beliefs and values are as a charity. It should help volunteers and girls of all ages to feel proud to wear our uniform and be a part of Girlguiding.
- It should be recognisable and distinctive. Everyone who wears a uniform should clearly look like a part of Girlguiding – a movement that’s youthful, relevant, fun, and offers something a little bit different. It should create interest and excitement from people who don’t know about the amazing things we do (yet!)
- It should be practical and comfortable. Uniform shouldn’t just look great – it should make all our members feel great too, no matter what adventures you're having.
These are the things we know will be important for us going forward. But we want to know what you think.
Which of these principles do you think are the most important? Is there anything else you want us to think about? Do you have opinions about neckers and other accessories, and how we use them to show who we are? How do you feel about having badges on uniform?
You can tell us what you think about all these things and more by completing our survey. The deadline to complete the survey is 5pm on Friday 28 July.
What happens next
Your opinions will be invaluable to us as we move forward. This is your uniform, and it’s so important for every member to feel proud and excited to wear it. This survey is just the starting point to get us there.
We’re also recruiting a focus group of volunteers who’ll be consulted throughout the process and feedback on the designs. To sign up for this opportunity, use the link at the end of the survey. Not everyone will be able to be on the focus group, but we’ll make sure that it’s made up of a mix of volunteers of different backgrounds, ages, countries and regions, and volunteer roles.
We’re looking for a talented design team to work on uniform right now, and your feedback needs to play a huge part in how we brief them, and what we ask them to prioritise. The project is being overseen by a project board which includes a mix of people who work at Girlguiding, volunteers, and external experts. They’ll all help to bring the project together, and make sure we’re addressing what matters to members at every stage.
When will the new uniform be available?
We’re working towards introducing the new uniform in the autumn of 2026. When it launches, there’ll be a changeover period to give everyone time to adjust. We don’t expect or want everyone to buy the new range straight away. As with the new brand refresh, we want to keep costs down, be sustainable, and minimise waste.
And we can reassure you now that although we’re proud to be a uniformed organisation, we’re committed to making sure that no girl is prevented from joining Girlguiding because of this. We’ll continue to support local recycling schemes, and help young members who find it difficult to afford uniform with schemes like our units in need grant. Our overall approach to uniform will continue to be flexible so that volunteers can focus on what really matters – helping all girls know they can do anything.
