Catholic Guides of Ireland

What Catholic Guides of Ireland does

Catholic Guides of Ireland is a registered charity (Charity Number CHY 7958; Registered Charity Number 20018689) and faith-based youth organization founded in 1928, operating from a national headquarters at 12 Clanwilliam Terrace, Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2, with a northern regional office in Belfast (BT12 7LU). The organization delivers an age-progressive membership program for girls and young women across four youth sections — Cygnet Guides (ages 5-6), Brígín Guides (6/7-10/11), Guides (10/11-17), and Rangers (14-19) — supported by an adult volunteer cohort, the Guiders (18+), who lead local units and deliver programming. Core offerings include skill-building curricula, leadership development, structured recognition schemes (notably the Chief Commissioner Award, Gaisce, and Osin Awards), and recurring national events such as the Youth Forum, the bi-annual National Guide and Ranger camp, Zoo Day, and the Guider Conference and National Council.

The organization supplements its programming with operational infrastructure including the Guiders Link newsletter, a Health Quality Mark, and a safeguarding framework, and engages in outreach via Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and TikTok. Membership discovery is supported through a "Find a Local Unit" tool on the website (girlguidesireland.ie), and the organization generates ancillary revenue via the CGI Shop and a Neckerchief Portal selling neckerchiefs and merchandise.

As a non-profit, Catholic Guides of Ireland has no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, no parent company or subsidiaries, and operates with a lean paid staff of 6 employees against a much larger volunteer base. The operating model is volunteer-driven with no publicly disclosed pricing; member participation is funded through a combination of likely membership fees, donations, grants, and merchandise sales. Recent 2025 impact metrics reported by the organization include 44 Chief Commissioner Awards issued, 19 Gaisce/Osin Awards to Rangers, 173 youth members at the Youth Forum, and 500+ members at national meetings and events.

Name

Catholic Guides of Ireland

Legal name

Catholic Guides of Ireland

Website

https://girlguidesireland.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Catholic Guides of Ireland is a Catholic faith-based registered charity founded in 1928 that delivers age-progressive youth programming for girls and young women (ages 5-19) in Ireland and Northern Ireland through volunteer-led local units, supported by awards, national events, and a small Dublin headquarters with a Belfast regional office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Girl guiding organization
• Volunteer youth programs
• Faith based youth charity
• Leadership awards programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Catholic Guides of Ireland is a non-profit Catholic youth organisation that delivers age-segmented guiding membership programs for girls and young women aged 5 to 19, organised into four sections (Cygnet Guides, Brigín Guides, Guides, Rangers), alongside an adult volunteer Guiders program. It supplements these programmes with recognised award schemes (Chief Commissioner Award, Gaisce, Osin), national events and camps, an online shop for merchandise, and a neckerchief ordering portal for local units.

Product overview

Catholic Guides of Ireland operates as a unified youth organization with a multi-section membership structure spanning from early childhood (Cygnet Guides for ages 5-6) through adolescence (Brigín Guides, Guides, Rangers) and into adult volunteering (Guiders). The core offering consists of age-appropriate guiding programs that deliver skill development, leadership training, and achievement awards including the Chief Commissioner Award and Gaisce/Osin Awards. The organization supports its volunteer-led units through the Guiders program, complemented by the Guiders Link newsletter for communication, a CGI Shop for merchandise, and a Neckerchief Portal for unit customization. Major annual events including Youth Forum, National Guide and Ranger camp, and Zoo Day provide national gathering opportunities. The Health Quality Mark demonstrates organizational commitment to service standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cygnet Guides Youth membership programme for girls aged 5-6 years, introducing young girls to guiding activities, skills, and group activities within a Catholic faith-based framework. Delivered through local units across Ireland.
• Brigín Guides Youth membership programme for girls aged 6/7-10/11 years providing age-appropriate guiding activities, badge work, and skill development within a Catholic framework.
• Guides Youth membership programme for girls aged 10/11-17 years offering comprehensive guiding activities, badges, awards, and leadership opportunities, including the Chief Commissioner Award pathway.
• Rangers Senior youth membership programme for young women aged 14-19 years providing advanced guiding experiences and access to prestigious awards including the Gaisce President's Award and the Osin Award.
• Guiders Adult volunteer membership programme for individuals aged 18 and over who lead, mentor, and support youth guiding units across Ireland, including formal training and safeguarding pathways.
• CGI Shop Online retail portal offering CGI merchandise and guiding supplies, accessible to members, volunteers, and the public through the organisation's website.

Quantifiable outcome

• 44 Chief Commissioner Awards issued to Guides in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Girlguiding UK: The largest girls' guiding organization in the UK, with a closely analogous section structure, badge/award system, and volunteer-led units. Comparable program architecture though at much larger scale.
• Foróige: Ireland's largest voluntary youth work organization, running youth clubs and leadership programs for teenagers across the country. Comparable youth-development mission and volunteer-based delivery, but a broader (not faith-specific) remit.
• YMCA Ireland: Volunteer-driven youth and community organization in Ireland offering youth programs, clubs, and leadership development. Comparable volunteer-based youth-development mission.

Regional players

• Crosscare: Catholic social care agency in Ireland providing youth and community services within a faith-based framework. Comparable faith-rooted approach to youth/family programming, though focused more on social services than uniformed guiding.
• Catholic Youth Care (CYC): Catholic youth ministry organization supporting faith-based youth work across Ireland. Comparable in mission to serve Catholic young people through formation and community activities.

Others

• ISPCC: Irish children's charity focused on child welfare and support services. Comparable only as a fellow Irish child/youth-focused non-profit operating under registered charity status.

Direct peers

• Scouting Ireland: Ireland's main Scout association, operating an age-tiered uniformed youth program with volunteer-led units, badges, and camps. Highly comparable operating model and target demographic (youth/families), though co-ed.
• Girl Guides of Ireland: The secular counterpart national guiding organization in Ireland serving girls and young women with broadly the same age-section structure, badge/award programs, and volunteer-led local units. It is the closest direct competitor for the same youth demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/catholicguides
• Facebookfacebook.com/CGIGirlGuides
• TikToktiktok.com/@catholicguidesirl#
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-guides-of-ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catholic Guides of Ireland