Girls’ Brigade Ministries (GBM) is the operating name of the charity Girls’ Brigade England and Wales (GBEW) – a Christian mission movement working, primarily, with girls and young women.
Our vision and purpose is for lives and communities to be transformed and enriched as generations seek, serve and follow Jesus Christ. We do this through our network of local uniformed community groups (GBEW), the video blog koko, The Esther Collective for 18-30s, retreats for women in and out of GB, mission consultancy for churches, and delivering equipping sessions across a number of areas around girls’ issues.
Our sustainability plan sets out improvement goals for us to position ourselves as the leading Christian organisation for girls and young women and as a thriving youth organisation.
Here’s a summary of our 5 growth goals…
Growth goal 1
To enable GBM to achieve a financially sustainable platform for the next 10 years.
Ways we plan to achieve this include:
- increasing the number of and amounts donated by regular givers to the work of GBM
- increasing subscription income through the growth of members
- commoditising equipping and training sessions and resources to generate income
- and having in place a clear plan for approaching funders to increase grant income.
Growth goal 2
To share more widely the work of GBM, and the difference it makes upon the lives of girls and young women and their communities.
Ways we plan to achieve this include:
- developing a strong network of supporters at government and local level
- lobbying and campaigning on the issues affecting girls and young women
- providing a hope-filled narrative around children and young people by sharing stories of transformation and social action
- strengthening GB’s network within the youth sector and learning from best practice.
To secure Royal support and patronage.
Ways we plan to achieve this include:
- sharing stories of GB’s work with girls and young women with Royal households
- raising awareness of the profile of our Queen’s Award and GB’s international and commonwealth connections.
Growth goal 3
To ensure that we have systems in place to enable the collection, analysis and evaluation of robust data to support future growth and funding.
Ways we plan to achieve this include
- identifying the data needed to support growth and sustainability and demonstrate delivery of outcomes; identifying appropriate systems to collect data on membership, supporters and donors, and on our member churches and denominations;
- identifying alumni
- analysing research from other Christian and youth organisations.
Growth goal 4
To have in place equipped and resourced staff and volunteers to support delivery growth and sustainability
Ways we plan to achieve this include:
- bringing in expertise where this is required
- developing succession planning for key leadership roles; providing resources to support the growth and sustainability of existing groups; and reviewing the process for new group set-up.
To identify and implement a new leader registration and group management solution
Ways we plan to achieve this include:
- defining the solution requirements and capabilities
- developing and testing the solution.
To increase our engagement with volunteers and the local church
Ways we plan to achieve this include:
- identifying opportunities to engage with church leaders
- utilising the network of volunteers at national, regional and district level
- marketing GB’s portfolio of equipping sessions, seminars and retreats.
Growth goal 5
To ensure that we raise the profile and perception of GBM so that we’re seen as a vibrant, proactive and relevant 21st-century organisation motivated through our Christian faith, to help girls and young women live ‘life to the full’ and as a vibrant, proactive and contextually-relevant Christian mission movement for girls and young women that supports the mission and outreach of the local church
Ways we plan to achieve this include:
- redeveloping the website and social media presence;
- developing a positive narrative to share with stakeholders and public figures in the secular and Christian world; equipping GB’s people to share a positive narrative of the work of GB
- developing and marketing our portfolio of mission and discipleship equipping sessions, seminars and retreats.
Our programme will be contextually-relevant and reflect the diversity and needs of this generation of young people.
Ways we plan to achieve this include:
- reviewing GB’s current programme – updating and developing new elements as required; ensuring leaders are equipped to deliver the programme;
- identifying new models of delivery.