The Badge Archive

GGUK – Theme Awards

Theme Awards are available for every level, but have slightly different requirements for each level. All levels will require:

  • Choose one of various required Interest Badges
  • Choose one of two required Staged badge series (called Skills Builders) and complete one of the six stages.
  • Complete a set number of  of UMA activities as a troop (cannot be done individually). (UMA activities are available on separate Cards from Girlguiding UK, sometimes for purchase but they often have some available for free download.) An example of UMAs is here.
    • Rainbows require 2 hours
    • Brownies require 3 hours
    • Guides and Rangers require 4 hours
  • Click here for details on Theme Awards.

All levels in GirlGuiding UK can earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold for their level.

  • Bronze requires 2 Theme Awards in their current level.
  • Silver requires 4 Theme Awards in their current level.
  • Gold requires all 6 Theme Awards in their current level.
    • Note that the Girlguiding Gold Award is available for every level and is not comparable to the GSUSA Gold Award (which is only available to Seniors and Ambassadors). Girlguiding Bronze, Silver, and Gold are similar to the GSUSA Journey Summit Pin, where scouts need to earn 3 journeys to wear the pin.

Theme Awards are the backbone of the Girlguiding program. A Pack/Company will spend most of the activity time working towards the Skills Builders and UMA requirements. Most Girlguides are asked to do the interest badges at home, but some Pack/Companies will work on the required interest badges as a group as well. To earn a Theme Award, they will need to do on average 3-5 meetings of UMA activities, 4-5 meetings to earn the Skills Builders Stage, 2-6 meetings to earn the required interest badges. That could be 9-16 meetings to earn one badge!

GSUSA’s Journeys are the most similar to Theme Awards, but take far less time to do. Most GSUSA Troops earn journeys in 3-5 meetings, or two events (A 3-4 hour Journey in a Day event and a Take Action Project event).

There are six total Theme Awards.

1 – Know Myself

All levels choose between two Staged badge series (called Skills Builders), and complete any single stage from the series.

  • Reflect
  • Network

All levels choose between one of the required Interest badges of their level

  • Rainbows – Family Tree OR Animal Lover
  • Brownies – Collecting, My Rights, OR Local History
  • Guides – Aspirations, Personal Brand, Guiding History, OR Human Rights
  • Rangers – Women’s Rights, Morals and Values, OR Genealogy

2 – Express Myself

All levels choose between two Staged badge series (called Skills Builders), and complete any single stage from the series.

  • Innovate
  • Communicate

All levels choose between one of the required Interest badges of their level

  • Rainbows – Storyteller OR Drawing
  • Brownies – Performing, Baking, OR Painting
  • Guides – Confectionery, Media Critic, Photography, OR Vlogging
  • Rangers – Blogging, Animation, OR Costumes

3 – Be Well

All levels choose between two Staged badge series (called Skills Builders), and complete any single stage from the series.

  • Feel Good
  • First Aid

All levels choose between one of the required Interest badges of their level

  • Rainbows – Fruit and Veg, OR Healthy Mind
  • Brownies – Dancing, Grow Your Own, OR Mindfulness
  • Guides – Fitness, Meditation, Mixology, OR Natural Remedies
  • Rangers – Sports, Cooking, OR Self-care

4 – Have Adventures

All levels choose between two Staged badge series (called Skills Builders), and complete any single stage from the series.

  • Camp
  • Explore

All levels choose between one of the required Interest badges of their level

  • Rainbows – Agility, OR Nature
  • Brownies – Archaeology, Aviation, OR Space
  • Guides – Backwoods Cooking, Geocaching, Navigator, OR Whittling
  • Rangers – Festival Goer, Travel, OR Bushcraft

5 – Take Action

All levels choose between two Staged badge series (called Skills Builders), and complete any single stage from the series.

  • Make Change
  • Influence

All levels choose between one of the required Interest badges of their level

  • Rainbows – Recycling, OR Helper
  • Brownies – Speaking Out, Charities, OR Zero Water
  • Guides – Be Prepared, Campaigning, Conscious Consumer, OR Craftivism
  • Rangers – Protesting, Volunteering, OR Voting

6 – Skills For My Future

All levels choose between two Staged badge series (called Skills Builders), and complete any single stage from the series.

  • Lead
  • Live Smart

All levels choose between one of the required Interest badges of their level

  • Rainbows – Book Lover, OR Construction
  • Brownies – Inventing, Jobs, OR Languages
  • Guides – Fixing, Investigating, Saver, OR Upcycling
  • Rangers – Event Planning, Entrepreneur, OR Digital Design

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Tia Kennard