Girlguiding members from across the county had an exciting day of teamwork and problem-solving as they convened at the Wiltshire Police Headquarters Devizes for a special event to earn the Girlguiding Wiltshire Police Challenge Badge.
On Sunday 9 March, over 100 Girl Guides, Brownies and their leaders took part in the second Wiltshire Police Challenge event to build critical thinking, leadership, and an appreciation for public service. 
The event promised an immersive day, allowing participants to explore the vital role of the police in keeping communities safe. It also gave Wiltshire Police the opportunity to listen to the Girl Guides to understand their concerns and priorities for living in Wiltshire.
The event featured three activities tailored to challenge and inspire:  
•    Design your own police force – create a force vision, priorities, and structure to fit the needs of our county within a set budget.
•    Solve a crime - an immersive training exercise where they will gather evidence to solve a burglary. 
•    Uniformed Operations challenge – learn all about protective clothing and equipment and take part in a real public order training exercise. 
These activities aimed to provide valuable insights into the world of policing, while simultaneously instilling important life skills for the participants. 
Once all guiding members completed the three event activities, they were awarded their badges at a ceremony lead by Chief Constable Catherine Roper. 

Chief Constable Catherine Roper - Guide leader and Child and Young People NPCC lead said “We were thrilled to welcome Wiltshire Girlguiding members once again this weekend for the second time. The success of the inaugural event in 2024 made it clear how important it is to continue this initiative. Organisations like Girlguiding play a vital role in the lives of young people, offering positive role models, safe spaces, and opportunities to develop valuable skills. As a Guide Leader myself, and a Girl Guide Ambassador for the Southwest Region, I know that public service is a thread that connects Girlguiding and Policing. Our Police challenge event is a fantastic opportunity to foster the idea of public service.”

The event not only reinforces the principles of teamwork and civic responsibility but also empowers young girls and women to aspire to leadership roles in their communities. 

Liz Radford, Joint County Commissioner for Girlguiding Wiltshire North said “We were thrilled to collaborate with Chief Constable Roper and Wiltshire Police for this special event. It's a fantastic opportunity for our girls and young women in Girlguiding to learn about the vital work of policing. We wanted our girls and young women to leave the event feeling inspired and know there is a career in policing open to them”

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “I am once again delighted to support the Chief Constable’s partnership working with Girlguiding and the second annual Wiltshire Police Challenge event. Building trust with our communities, especially young people, and gaining their confidence has never been more important for policing than it is now. This work is one further step towards Wiltshire Police, driven by the Chief’s passion for encouraging the development of young people, cementing those foundations in our communities. 
Alongside, these Challenge events are a chance to really showcase public service at its best, inspire more females to aspire to work in policing and connect with our future police officers and leaders who will continue to keep our families, and our county safe, for many years to come.” 

The badge was officially launched across the county on International Women’s Day in 2024. The badge pack is available on the Wiltshire Police website where all Girlguiding units will be able to download it to use at weekly meetings and gain the badge.