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Girls from 200 Guide units around Ireland took part in the Global Trek
Ireland, 06/07/2016 – Irish Girl Guides (IGG) members have trekked 40,000km in the past six months – the same distance as walking the entire way around the globe!
Girls, young women and volunteer leaders from 200 IGG units around the country took part in the Global Trek. Some walked around their neighbourhoods and local parks while others hiked in forests, around lakes, up mountains and on overseas Girl Guide trips.
The initial goal was to walk 20,000km – the distance from the North Pole to the South Pole – by 1 May 2016. This target was reached ahead of schedule, however, and the girls enjoyed the challenge so much that they decided to see if they could clock up enough kilometres to make it back to the North Pole.
The final kilometres of the Global Trek were completed on Monday 4 July 2016 – the last day of a weekend event, which saw 800 IGG members from Eastern Region camping in the Dublin foothills at Larch Hill, Tibradden.
There was a great sense of excitement and accomplishment among the girls when the final tally showed that the target of 40,000km had been reached!
IGG Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon said: “The idea behind the initial North to South Pole Trek was that we wanted to give girls the opportunity to get outside and do something fun and active without it being competitive.”
The fact that the girls achieved double their target figure was not a complete surprise to Concannon. “This is a real example of how our members work together to make something happen because not only did we get from the North Pole to the South Pole but, people were so amazing and fantastic, that we made it all the way there and back again,” she said. “Our girls are great at being active and achieving great things along the way. We have done an amazing feat by working together!
“We often hear of the difficulties some schools and organisations face in getting teenage girls to take part in physical exercise. Our Global Trek shows how easy it can be, if you make it interesting and provide the opportunity for girls to do it together in a fun way!”
Taking part in the trek counted towards younger members earning badges like Active Body, Nature Observer and Local Knowledge, while for girls from age 10+ it will have helped them achieve their Hiker, Rambler or Outdoor Adventure badges.
Irish Girl Guides welcomes new members from age 5+ and volunteer leaders from age 18+. To find out more, see www.irishgirlguides.ie or telephone 01-6683898.
ENDS
Contact:
Fiona Murdoch, Communications Officer, Irish Girl Guides
Tel: 085 8570565
Email: communications@irishgirlguides.ie
Notes for editors:
Irish Girl Guides has approximately 12,000 members. Guiding started in Ireland in 1911 and operates throughout the 26 counties with 1,800 volunteer leaders providing an informal educational programme of fun and challenging activities that foster confidence and leadership skills in girls and young women, enabling them to develop to their full potential and to become responsible citizens. Girls from age 5+ can choose to earn a wide range of badges, including Community Action, Cultural Diversity, Disability Awareness, Drug Awareness, Online Surfer, Science Investigator and Global Traveller.