As we mentioned in our Summer Update, we have some exciting opportunities each year for girls and young women aged between 14 and 24 to represent The Girls’ Brigade as Ambassadors and advocates.
The sort of things that these young people will do is speaking at events like the All Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs, speaking at (or contributing to) conferences and events, and representing GB at uniformed youth events organised by Youth United Foundation and Youth Organisations in Uniform.
We are also looking for a Youth President role who will represent us in an ambassadorial role, but who’ll also build relationships and share experiences with other senior youth leaders in the various Christian denominations that we serve and in other Christian organisations.
We believe that these new roles will be fantastic opportunities for girls and young women to develop confidence in leadership. Emily Brailsford, our recently appointed Trustee Board Chair, states:
‘This is such a great opportunity for our young women. When I was younger I definitely did not consider myself a leader, but my life and faith has put me here. I am so excited about what this role will bring to Girls’ Brigade and the opportunities it will open up for our members. It’s a chance to really make a difference to the organisation that we love and also to the lives of girls and young women in today’s society.’
Margaret Casely-Hayford, Girls’ Brigade patron, states:
‘It’s evident that women who were appointed Head Girl whilst at school often go onto significant leadership roles in later life because that early leadership opportunity undoubtedly engenders a confidence and self belief that I anticipate will be gained by our Youth President. It’s the establishment of an exciting opportunity.’
When representing The Girls’ Brigade, uniform is a mandatory requirement. The GB Support Centre will loan Ambassadors and the Youth President items of uniform (like the formal shirt) as required.
Obviously, we are well aware that young people in this age bracket are pushed for time and need to focus on their education, so this will be borne in mind and the expectation in terms of time commitment is limited. We will endeavour to ensure that any meetings are after school, or are in school holidays. However, there may be events organised by others where the date and time is outside our control.
Young Ambassadors
We are seeking to build a cohort of around 6 young people who will represent us and advocate for us. The appointment will last for one calendar year. Travel and other expenses for agreed activities will be reimbursed on production of receipts.
Training and mentoring will be provided by young adult leaders. Resources and guidance will be provided by the Support Centre. The initial training will last around 2 hours in an evening (date to be determined). The ongoing time commitment is hard to estimate, but in total is probably 3-4 hours a term.
Once appointed, the members of the group will be allocated their mentors. They will also meet online as a group for training and capacity building sessions. They will then be contacted as and when opportunities arise. Young ambassadors will be encouraged to suggest national and regional events that they feel it would be helpful to attend.
The closing date for submitting nominations is 30 September 2025.
Youth President
We are looking for a young person between 14 and 24 to be the Girls’ Brigade Youth President. The appointment is for one year. 1:1 support, mentoring and training will be provided by a young adult leader to ensure that the person appointed succeeds in the role. The GB Support Centre will also provide training, briefings and resources.
The role encompasses:
- Representing The Girls’ Brigade at high profile civic and faith-based events
- Speaking passionately about The Girls’ Brigade and the positive impact that we have on the lives of girls and young women
- Writing media blogs and posts about your role and the issues GB cares about
- Building relationships with senior youth representatives and ambassadors in Christian dominations and Christian organisations.
The initial training will last around 2 hours in an evening (date to be determined). The ongoing time commitment is hard to estimate, but in total is probably 3-4 hours a term.
It’s an open nomination process – young women can nominate themselves or their friends and fellow group members. Parents, carers and GB volunteers can also nominate young women. The agreement of the person being nominated must be recorded on the form, to ensure that they’re comfortable with being put forward.
Once appointed, the Youth President will be allocated their mentor. Training and capacity building sessions will take place online. The Youth President will be encouraged to be proactive in proposing what activities need to take place to ensure that the role has a lasting impact.
The closing date for submitting nominations is 30 September 2025.
Applications
The nomination process is simple – please complete an online nomination form here. We would encourage anyone nominating themselves or nominating someone to share examples and speak from the heart.
Each nomination will be reviewed by our Board Chair – Canon Emily Brailsford, our Patron – Margaret Casely-Hayford CBE, and a young GB leader. Young people who make the shortlist will be invited to an online meeting with Margaret, Emily and the young leader.
The meeting will be friendly and informal, and shortlisted nominees will be assessed during this meeting. This format will also serve to introduce nominees to the type of event at which they might be representing us.
Shortlisted candidates will be given guidance on how to prepare for the online session, but the key thing is to “be yourself” and explain in your own words why you’re interested in the role.