About Rainbows

How Does Rainbows differ from school?
Rainbows is a voluntary activity for girls who want to join. There is no homework, no exams. Girls learn through fun and may only realise years later the range of basic and life skills that they learned in guiding when they come to use them in adult life.

As a Rainbow parent what are my responsibilities?
First, to encourage your daughter in her Rainbow activities, to share her sense of achievement when she completes an activity, to be proud of her when she makes her Promise.

There are also some practical responsibilities too. Guiding is run by volunteers most of whom also work and have families to look after. When taking your daughter to her meeting please ensure there is always an adult Leader present before you leave her, and ensure you are always there on time to collect her. A girl will never be left on her own at the end of the meeting but it is unfair on the Guiders and helpers to keep them waiting.

I Have been told there is a long waiting list in our Area
As guiding is run by volunteers sometimes we cannot offer all the places that local girls would like. We would love to be able to offer every girl who wanted one a place. We can only do this with more support from parents and other adults who are willing to help. One more regular adult helper can often mean several more girls can join a unit. Regular adult help need not mean the same person all the time but can also mean a parent rota. If you are willing to help, please discuss this with the Guider when enquiring about places.

As the parent of a Rainbow, you are recommended to find out from your Rainbow Guider if any waiting lists for Brownie Packs operate in your area, and if necessary place your daughter’s name on it.

My daughter has a disability. Can she join Rainbows?

Guiding welcomes girls with disabilities and its varied programme is flexible to allow most girls to participate.

Please discuss your daughter’s needs with the Guider before your daughter joins so that she can take advice from the guiding Adviser for Members with Disabilities and also can check the meeting room facilities are suitable.

Our aim is enable a girl with disabilities to take as full a part as possible in the life of the unit, at the same time, the needs of the others in the unit are taken into account so that the experience is a positive one for everyone.

Many girls with disabilities have shone in guiding, much to the amazement and delight of their parents. Equally, girls without disabilities have gained from learning sign language, from understanding the needs of people of different abilities and sharing the fun of Rainbows together.

My daughter/grand-daughter has a birthday soon. Can I buy her Rainbow things?
To help answer this, we have added a range of Rainbows gift items like cloth Rainbows dolls, pens and notebooks. There is plenty of choice. Have a look at the Girlguiding UK’s online shop or phone 0161 941 2237 for a catalogue, as well as the local depot in Weston Super Mere.

My daughter is not yet five. Can I put her name on a waiting list?
Yes you can, just contact your local Rainbow Guider and ask to have your name added to her list. Please email the Rainbow Adviser at blagdonrainbows@hotmail.com for details of your nearest unit.

What do Rainbows Need?
For her first few meetings your daughter needs nothing to experience the fun of being a Rainbow. Girlguiding UK produces a range of Rainbow items. Your daughter can choose what she wants to wear from a range of Rainbow clothes available online at the online shop or from the local depot at Weston Super Mare. New Rainbows will be given a Rainbow Welcome Bag and Rainbow starter booklet soon after they join.

It is up to your daughter to decide when to start wearing her Rainbow clothes, but we recommend that you don't purchase uniform until she has been coming a few weeks and is sure she wants to continue.

Rainbow Guides, like all members of The Guide Association, make a promise.

"I promise that I will do my best to love my god and be kind helpful"

When a Rainbow makes her promise the whole unit joins in and she receives her

Rainbow Guide Promise badge to pin onto her uniform.

Rainbow Guiders

The adults who run a Rainbow unit are called Guiders. They are unpaid volunteers who have completed Girlguiding UK training in their own time. They are usually helped by a team of other young women or adults, such as:

a local Guide aged 11 or over.
a Young Leader aged 14 or over.
a Unit Helper: an adult who regularly helps at unit meetings.
other adult helpers who are willing to help occasionally: usually parents of Rainbows in the unit.

If you are interested in helping with Rainbows please let the Guider know.

Being a Rainbow is all about having lots of fun. At our meetings we do lots of things like play games, go outside, make things, sing songs and listen to stories.

Sometimes we go to special places, or have parties. There are always exciting things to do, and it is great seeing your Rainbow friends.

There is also a special Rainbow Guides Website,

click on this link:

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How Does Rainbows differ from school? Rainbows is a voluntary activity for girls who want to join. There is no homework, no exams. Girls learn through fun and may only realise years later the range of basic and life skills that they learned in guiding when they come to use them in adult life.

My daughter is not yet five. Can I put her name on a waiting list? Yes you can, just contact your local Rainbow Guider and ask to have your name added to her list. Please email the Rainbow Adviser at blagdonrainbows@hotmail.com for details of your nearest unit.

How Does Rainbows differ from school?
Rainbows is a voluntary activity for girls who want to join. There is no homework, no exams. Girls learn through fun and may only realise years later the range of basic and life skills that they learned in guiding when they come to use them in adult life.

My daughter is not yet five. Can I put her name on a waiting list?
Yes you can, just contact your local Rainbow Guider and ask to have your name added to her list. Please email the Rainbow Adviser at blagdonrainbows@hotmail.com for details of your nearest unit.