From Community Correspondent Steve Wicks: Guides and their Leaders from Cheam, Worcester Park and Old Malden, marked Girlguiding UK’s Centenary World Thinking Day with a high-energy performing arts festival called One World One Beat. Across the UK, nine One World One Beat events were staged so thousands of girls and young women could celebrate the occasion.

The Rainbows/Brownies/Guides/Senior Section/Leaders gathered at Notre Dame School in Cobham, Surrey for the event that marked one of the most significant dates in the guiding calendar. World Thinking Day is an opportunity for the ten million Guides and Girl Scouts in 145 countries around the world to think about the diversity of the worldwide membership and show appreciation for each other’s lives.

The girls and young women joined over 2500 other members from throughout London and the South East of England and spent the day taking part in a range of inspiring workshops on the theme of world performing arts with sessions including junk and body percussion, Tai Chi, maypole dancing, didgeridoo, steel band music, singing, dancing, karaoke, synchronised swimming and African drumming. The girls particularly enjoyed the drumming, dance and puppet workshops, meeting so many other people and watching live link ups from around the country making them realise they were part of a worldwide organisation.

Anne Hudson, London and South East England Chief Commissioner said “One World One Beat was a great day and for everyone and the perfect way to make World Thinking Day special as it is a really important occasion for guiding. It is a chance for us to acknowledge that we are part of a huge movement that works to give millions of girls, young women and adults opportunities to try new things, gain new skills and most importantly make friends and have fun.”

The guiding movement began in 1909 when a small group of young women ‘gate crashed’ the Boy Scout rally at Crystal Palace Park in London and lobbied Robert Baden-Powell for ‘something for the girls’. The Centenary is an opportunity to celebrate the impact that the organisation has made on the lives of girls and young women and how modern guiding continues to support over half a million members around the UK to make new friends, develop skills and achieve their full potential in a unique girl only space.