Rainbows around the country are broadening their entry to allow ages between four and seven, meaning local units in the South Hams, including 1st Dartmouth Rainbow Unit and 1st Kingsbridge Rainbow Unit, will be opening their doors to four-year-olds.

Rainbows is Girlguiding’s youngest section, and they will now be allowing younger girls to join, “providing more opportunities for more girls to experience the fun, friendship and adventure of Girlguiding.”

Girlguiding created a campaign to celebrate this, called “#GirlsAreMadeOf”, showing “the true face of four-year-old girls”. The campaign included a photo series with award-winning photographer Emily Stein which aimed to defeat the steretype of girls being ‘sugar and spice and all things nice’, and capturing bold images showing “what girls are made of, from strength and joy, to mischief, courage, and curiosity.” The photoshoot includes existing Rainbows and girls starting out in Guiding, encouraging them to “showcase their individuality… representing the many faces, qualities and quirks embraced by the organisation.”

The campaign was launched to coincide with the annual International Day of the Girl, on October 11th, and selected images from the series are now on display at Girlguiding’s London headquarters on Buckingham Palace Road, both in the windows and in a gallery open to the public.

Laura Parker, Membership Growth and Retention Lead in Girlguiding Devon said: “Welcoming four-year-olds will mean we can give more girls the great opportunities Rainbows offers. Across Devon and beyond, we want to provide a space for all girls to feel free to be themselves and to have fun. Our youngest section always love to have adventures, earn badges and make new friends. These girls, as pictured in the images, can achieve anything they want to and Girlguiding are here to support them.”

Rainbows has been running for 35 years, focusing on developing self-confidence, building friendships, learning new things and having fun through games and activities. Thus, this change means that more girls will be able to enjoy the fun and education that the units offer, which is particularly important after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emma Guthrie, Assistant Chief Guide, said: “Four-year-old girls have spent a huge portion of their lives in a pandemic, missing out on essential play, exploration, confidence building and friendships, and parents are keen for them to make up for lost time.

“Too often girls are still expected to be sugar and spice and all things nice, but working with girls and young women for over 100 years, we know they are made of so much more. We’re extremely happy to warmly welcome four-year-olds to the organisation and start them on their Girlguiding journey – opening up a community where girls can always be free to be themselves. Free to be four.”