Girlguiding Ulster

What Girlguiding Ulster does

Girlguiding Ulster (legally "The Guide Association Province of Ulster") is a registered charity in Northern Ireland (NIC 103728) and the regional branch of Girlguiding UK, founded in 1920. The organisation delivers youth development programmes for girls and young women aged 4-18 through four age-segmented sections: Rainbows (4-7), Brownies (7-10), Guides (10-14) and Rangers (14-18). Programming is delivered through 625+ volunteer-led local units across 10 counties of Northern Ireland, organised into 4 Guiding counties (North, East, South, West) and 13 districts, with dedicated Growth & Development Officers supporting recruitment. The organisation is overseen by an Executive Committee led by Chief Commissioner Elaine Doran (appointed 2026, succeeding Debbie McDowell), with operational leadership from CEO Claire Flowers and a small full-time staff team of approximately 8 employees.

Revenue is generated from five principal streams: recurring annual membership subscriptions (shared across HQ, country, county, division and district levies), tiered donations (£15-£100 one-time, £3-£20 monthly), merchandise and badge sales through an online shop (county badges, service badges, DoE packs), training and event fees (including 1st Response first aid), and property hire across six owned venues. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Lorne Estate Outdoor Adventure Centre, operates a 21-acre residential and conference venue at the Holywood headquarters. Technology infrastructure consists of a standard website platform with e-commerce, event booking and training registration capabilities, supplemented by the Virtual Hub (a digital content space for inclusive access post-COVID), an online shop, and a training/event booking system.

Distribution is community-led and volunteer-driven, with strategic partnerships extending programme content (RNLI for water safety, IFA Foundation for women's football, Autism NI for inclusion accreditation, ICE for civil engineering pilot). The annual Girls Attitude Survey provides research and policy influence. There is no reliance on external AI/ML technologies; the technology stack is conventional web and e-commerce tooling.

Name

Girlguiding Ulster

Legal name

The Guide Association Province of Ulster

Website

https://girlguidingulster.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Girlguiding Ulster is a registered Northern Ireland charity (founded 1920) delivering youth development programmes to 7,000-10,000 girls aged 4-18 through 625+ volunteer-led units, funded by subscriptions, donations, merchandise, training fees, and property hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Girls guiding activities
• Outdoor adventure education
• Volunteer-led scouting
• Charity youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

Holywood

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions collected from members to fund Girlguiding operations, training, programme materials, and resources. The subscription is divided into different levies for HQ, countries/regions, counties, divisions and districts.
2. Donations: Single or regular donations from supporters, including memorial donations and gift aid contributions. One-time donation options of £15, £40, £100 and recurring monthly options of £3, £5, £10, £20.
3. Merchandise and Badge Sales: Online shop selling Girlguiding Ulster merchandise, badges (county badges, nights away badges, service badges), Lorne Estate merchandise, centenary items, and Duke of Edinburgh resources.
4. Training and Event Fees: Revenue from training courses such as 1st Response first aid training and events. Some training is provided free to members.
5. Property Hire: Revenue from hiring out properties including Gosford Guide House, Dunluce Guide House, Coleraine Guide Hall, Holywood Guide Hall, Portstewart Guide Hall, and Benone Guide Campsite.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Girlguiding Ulster delivers structured youth development programmes for girls and young women aged 4–18 across Northern Ireland through age-segmented sections (Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers), supported by a trained volunteer workforce. It also operates the Lorne Estate Outdoor Adventure Centre, providing residential outdoor activities, training courses, and property hire, alongside an online retail shop for uniforms, badges and merchandise.

Product overview

Girlguiding Ulster is a regional charity providing youth development programs for girls and young women aged 4-18 across Northern Ireland through its core section programs: Rainbows (ages 4-7), Brownies (ages 7-10), Guides (ages 10-14), and Rangers (ages 14-18). The organization operates through volunteer-led units supported by the Adult Volunteering Program, delivering activities, badge programs, and outdoor adventures. Key services include the Virtual Hub for inclusive digital access, the Lorne Estate Outdoor Adventure Centre for residential and outdoor experiences, an Online Shop for merchandise and badges, a Training and Events Booking system for volunteer development, the 2026 Unit Support Fund grant program, and the annual Girls Attitude Survey research initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lorne Estate: A 21-acre outdoor adventure centre home to residential accommodation, outdoor activities, camping facilities and conference space. Operated as part of Girlguiding Ulster.

Products and services

• Rainbows Programme (ages 4–7) Introductory youth development programme for girls aged 4–7, delivered through volunteer-led community units across Northern Ireland.
• Brownies Programme (ages 7–10) Youth development programme for girls aged 7–10 focused on building confidence, skills and friendships through structured activities and badgework.
• Guides Programme (ages 10–14) Senior youth development programme for girls aged 10–14 offering leadership opportunities, outdoor activities, and community action projects.
• Rangers Programme (ages 14–18) Senior youth programme for young women aged 14–18 focusing on independence, Duke of Edinburgh-style awards, international opportunities and peer leadership.
• Lorne Estate Outdoor Adventure Centre

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver the 'Mayday! Mayday!' water safety challenge pack and badge. Focuses on water safety for Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, highlighting RNLI's key safety messages. RNLI also offers network of volunteer presenters who can visit units for free presentations.
• Irish Football Association (IFA) FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with former Northern Ireland Women's Captain Marissa Callaghan to deliver Women's Football Challenge Badge. Designed for Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers. Helps girls build confidence and get involved with sport regardless of football experience. Badges are free for members.
• Autism NIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to achieve Autism NI Impact Award. Delivered basic training sessions for leaders on understanding autism and making the organization inclusive. Leaders access comprehensive e-learning through Go Accounts. Girlguiding Ulster has two Autism Champions for one-to-one support.
• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot programme to inspire girls to pursue civil engineering careers through a new badge. Activities for Guides and Rangers led by unit leaders or civil engineers. Working towards earning a civil engineering badge over 2 unit meetings.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Woodcraft Folk: UK-wide youth organisation focused on social justice and outdoor education for children and young people. Comparable in values, badge/activity programmes, and volunteer-led delivery model.
• YMCA Northern Ireland: Regional youth charity delivering health, wellbeing, and youth programmes including outdoor activities and accommodation hire. Partial overlap in youth development and adventure centre operations.

Regional players

• Girlguiding Scotland: Regional counterpart of Girlguiding for Scotland, delivering the same age-tier programmes and governance model. Highly comparable in scope, structure, and membership tiers; differs only by geography.
• Girlguiding Midlands: Midlands regional branch of Girlguiding with similar governance, programme, and membership structure. Comparable volunteer/unit ratios and property portfolio.
• Girlguiding Anglia: England East regional branch of Girlguiding with comparable section programmes and county/district structure. Equivalent in operating model and scale.
• Girlguiding Wales: Wales regional branch of Girlguiding with Welsh-language programming and similar autonomy/charity structure. Same programmes, badges, and volunteer model; useful for cross-regional comparison.

Broad incumbents

• Girlguiding (UK national body): UK-wide parent organisation of Girlguiding Ulster; operates the same section programmes (Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers) and badge curricula across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Directly comparable as the national federation.
• UK Girl Guides Overseas (WAGGGS affiliated): World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts umbrella body coordinating international guiding; GGU's Queens Guide and Commonwealth Award partnerships interface directly with this body.

Others

• National Trust (Northern Ireland outdoor education programmes): Operates outdoor education and youth engagement programmes in Northern Ireland using heritage properties; overlaps with GGU's Lorne Estate outdoor adventure delivery and badge curriculum (e.g., nature, heritage badges).

Direct peers

• Scouts NI (The Scout Association in Northern Ireland): Co-educational youth organisation in Northern Ireland delivering programmes for 4-18 year-olds with strong outdoor/adventure focus; competes head-to-head with Girlguiding Ulster for youth members and volunteers in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ggulster
• Facebookfacebook.com/GirlguidingUlster
• Instagraminstagram.com/girlguidingulster
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/girlguiding-ulster

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Girlguiding Ulster