Join guiding
Guides meet every week in schools and communities across Uganda. Find the section for your age and come and see what happens.
- Ages 3 to 18
- Four sections, so she joins girls her own age and moves up with them.
- Weekly, in term time
- About an hour and a half, usually at a school, plus camps and events through the year.
- Look before you join
- Come to a meeting and see a term for yourself before anyone registers or pays.
Which section?
Girls move up through the sections as they grow, staying with others their own age the whole way. Find her age and you have found her section.
3 - 6 yearsSunrays
The youngest section. Sunrays learn by doing - sports, arts and crafts, games, and the space to try new things.
About Sunrays
7 - 10 yearsBrownies
Brownies work in small groups called Sixes, exploring their surroundings through cooking, camping, community projects and more.
About Brownies
11 - 12 yearsJunior Guides
Junior Guides run in patrols of eight led by a Captain, and take on what the uniform stands for: promise, loyalty, service and obedience.
About Junior Guides
13 - 18 yearsRangers
Secondary school guides, invested at a ceremony of their own, whose motto is “Render Service”.
About Rangers
Guiding continues into adulthood through Young Leaders, Adult Leaders and Trefoil Guides. See all our membership sections.
How to join
Four steps, and nothing is committed until the last one.
- 1
Get in touch
Contact the national office by phone or email and tell us where you are based and who wants to join.
- 2
Find your unit
We will point you to a Guide unit near you, or advise on starting one at your school or in your community.
- 3
Come along and meet us
Visit the unit, meet the leaders and other Guides, and see what happens at a typical meeting.
- 4
Register and make your promise
Complete registration with the unit leader, then make the Guide promise and become part of the movement.
What we need to register her
- Her name, age, and school or community
- A parent or guardian’s consent, for anyone under 18
- Contact details for the parent or guardian
- Unit registration and membership fee, where it applies
No unit near you?
New units open at schools and in communities all the time. Starting one needs an adult willing to lead it and somewhere to meet - the national office supports you through everything else, including training.
Ask about starting a unitFor parents and guardians
The questions we are asked most often. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
- What happens at a unit meeting?
- Units meet weekly during term time, usually at a school, for about an hour and a half. Meetings open and close with a formal ceremony, and the middle is whatever the patrols have planned - games, badge work, a skill being taught, or preparation for a camp or a community project.
- What does it cost?
- There is a unit registration and membership fee, and camps and events are charged separately. Fees vary by district and unit. No girl should miss out over money - if cost is a barrier, speak to the unit leader or the national office.
- Does she need a uniform straight away?
- No. Girls take part before they have a uniform, and units often help new members find one. The uniform matters at ceremonies and camps rather than at an ordinary weekly meeting.
- How do you keep girls safe?
- Every adult in guiding is vetted before they work with girls: references taken up, safeguarding checks completed, and training before they lead. Our child safeguarding policy sets out what we require and how to raise a concern.
- What if there is no unit near us?
- Units are opened at schools and in communities all the time. If there is nothing close, get in touch - starting a new unit needs an adult willing to lead it and somewhere to meet, and the national office supports you through the rest.
- Can she try it before joining?
- Yes. Come to a meeting, meet the leader and the other girls, and see what a term looks like before anyone registers or pays anything.
Keeping girls safe
How we vet adults, what we expect of leaders, and how to raise a concern.
Joining as an adult?
Leaders, helpers, trainers and committee members all have their own route in.
Come and see for yourself
Contact the national office and we will help you find the unit closest to you.
Contact us