Urgent warning as organisation serving thousands of children in Scotland faces mass closures
A SCOTS youth organisation facing "devastating" closures has issued a desperate plea for volunteers.
The long-standing charity, which has been operating for more than 110 years, promote education and skills development for girls as young as four.
With around 280 groups in the capital, Girlguiding Edinburgh are a well established organisation in Scotland.
But due to a lack of resources and volunteers, the city is at risk of up to 30 closures.
The organisation which runs Rainbow, Brownie, Guide and Ranger units provide services to over 4000 girls in Edinburgh.
Facing a real shortage of volunteers, the closures could see around 500 girls displaced.
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Girlguiding County Comissioner, Lindsey Devlin told STV the losses would be "devastating".
She said: "To me it is devastating. Yes, we will put girls onto different waiting lists but it’s a snowball effect.
“If we’re closing units, waiting lists are just going to get bigger and unless we attract people, I know I’m just moving girls onto a waiting list.”
With thousands of young girls on waiting lists to join, the charity are now urging anyone interested in becoming a volunteer to contact them.
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Kirsty Lewis, lead volunteer for growth at Girlguiding Edinburgh said: “We want to emphasise that becoming a volunteer leader is not just about volunteering, it’s about personal growth, skills development, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of young girls.
“We invite anyone who is even remotely interested to reach out to us to arrange a visit to your local unit, and see first-hand how much fun and fulfilment this experience can bring.”