Girls’ Brigade Scotland will wind down and merge into Girls’ Brigade England and Wales over the coming year, the organisations have announced.
The new charity will be called Girls’ Brigade Great Britain and will represent the three nations.
The charities said the move will ensure the organisation’s sustainability in the digital age and will be affordable for girls to join.
Girls’ Brigade Scotland charity will cease operation in May next year and from June members will be welcomed into a single organisation serving the whole of Great Britain.
New branding and a refreshed membership offer will be unveiled in due course, the charities said.
The new organisation will be led by Girls’ Brigade England and Wales chief executive Judith Davey-Cole, while the Scottish charity’s chief executive Caroline Goodfellow will retire in May 2027.
According to their latest accounts filed with their respective regulators, Girls’ Brigade Scotland recorded an income of £226,055 in the year ending March 2025, while the England and Wales charity recorded an income of £573,971 in the year ending December 2024.
Davey-Cole told Third Sector that the Scottish charity has five staff, two full-time and three part-time, while Girls’ Brigade England and Wales has 10, two full-time and eight part-time.
When asked about staffing arrangements, Davey-Cole and Goodfellow told Third Sector: “Our decision-making is led by our Christian values, and while we go through the necessary changes that come with this, we plan to have no job losses in the first 12 months and are committed to supporting our staff team.”
The chief executives said: “Girls’ Brigade, like many charities and organisations, are making decisions to ensure their sustainability at a time where people are dealing with the challenges of cost of living and there is less money for people to donate and to spend on social activities.
“In addition to this, with the rise of technology, people increasingly spend more time online and less time doing activities in person, and we need to make sure what we offer is fit for the future.”
Davey-Cole said: “Like many membership organisations for children and young people, membership numbers have shifted in the digital age, and our priority is making sure we have a national organisation that is sustainable and ready for the future.”
The pair said that by having a united offer as Girls’ Brigade Great Britain, the organisation will “be around for future generations”.
They said: “It will also be affordable for girls to join, which is really important to us.”
Goodfellow said: “We have over 4,000 Girls’ Brigade members in Scotland, who will be welcomed to join the new organisation.
“And while there is a bright future ahead, we also recognise this is the end of an era in Scotland, and there will be local celebrations and thanksgiving for the organisation as Girls’ Brigade Scotland comes to an end as a separate charity.”