Girlguiding Plymouth smash the Astor 100 Challenge

The Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress, and Girlguiding Devon Ambassador, Commander Charles Crichton OBE, joined Girlguiding from across the whole of Plymouth at Central Park on Sunday (5th May) to take on the Astor 100 Challenge.

Girlguiding members from across the 4 divisions, Plympton, Plymouth East, Plymouth West and Plym were sponsored to take on 100 repetitions of an activity in order to raise money towards the Lady Astor Statue Appeal.

Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Senior Section, Trefoil Guild and Leaders chose an activity to complete. Some of the activites that were successfully undertaken were completing 100 drawings, doing 100 cartwheels, singing 100 campfire songs, doing 100 plaits, balancing a beanbag on your head for 100 minutes, doing 100 skips.

The girls from 1st Leigham Guides and 2nd Plymouth Brownies decorated 100 buns, which they kindly donated to the soup kitchen afterwards. The Lord Mayor also completed his challenge - to shake 100 hands! All participants were awarded an Astor 100 Challenge commemorative badge.

All sponsorship money once collected is going towards the Lady Astor Statue Appeal which has been set up to raise funds to build a statue of the inspirational, Lady Astor on the Hoe. This appeal is close to Girlguiding in Plymouth, as Lady Astor, the first woman to sit in the House of Commons, was also responsible for setting up Girlguiding in Plymouth in 1917.

Jan Pritchard, President of Girlguiding Plymouth East says “We owe 101 years of Girlguiding history to Lady Astor, it is important to us that when our girls are older they can look back and tell their own children about Lady Astor starting Girlguiding in Plymouth, and how they helped to raise the money to build her statue”.

Alexis Bowater, Leader of the Lady Astor Statue Campaign, said: "The support from this city for the statue appeal has been utterly outstanding and the astonishing work that Lady Astor carried out for the people of Plymouth is still inspiring generations 100 years on from her election. Girlguiding Plymouth have been quite amazing in their passion and commitment and I cannot thank or praise them enough for their incredibly hard work and dedication."

Jo Smith, Division Commissioner said “We had a fun girl led afternoon with girls of all ages taking  part in challenges they chose. We look forward to seeing Lady Astor being the first female statue on the Plymouth Hoe and inspiring others.”

Matilde from St.Andrews Guides, said she has raised £23 for the appeal, at which the Lord Mayor kindly gave her £2 to make it up to a round £25, as well as finishing her challenge and giving her her hundredth handshake.

For more information about how to join Girlguiding – the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK – go to www.girlguiding.org.uk