Girl guides bosses accused of ‘insulting the reminiscence’ of former Queen

Girlguiding UK bosses have been accused of ‘insulting the memory’ of the organisation’s former patron the late Queen for urgent forward with shutting down their abroad operations.

Former Armed Forces Minister Sir Mike Penning additionally instructed the charity wouldn’t have taken ‘these lamentable decisions if the late Queen was still alive and still serving as their patron’.

Earlier this yr, the charity’s trustees axed the British Girlguiding Overseas (BGO) physique, which operated throughout 36 nations and had greater than 2,000 members. It advised outfits within the British Overseas Territories that they’ll study their destiny within the New Year.

The organisation says the cutbacks are for monetary and operational causes.

However, greater than 19,600 folks have signed a petition calling on the trustees to ‘re-examine their decision’. 

Girlguiding UK bosses have been accused of ‘insulting the memory’ of the organisation’s former patron the late Queen (pictured, proper with Princess Margaret, left) for planning to close down their abroad operations

Former Armed Forces Minister Sir Mike Penning additionally instructed the charity wouldn’t have taken these selections if the Queen have been nonetheless alive and its patron

And former Grenadier Guardsman and serving Tory MP Sir Mike and different MPs from throughout the political divide have signed a House of Commons movement warning that the abroad closures ‘will have a detrimental impact on young women and communities’ inside every Overseas Territory and throughout British army bases abroad, the place the kids of Service households have been capable of grow to be Girl Guides.

Last night time, Sir Mike advised The Mail on Sunday how Girlguiding centres have been ‘vitally important for the children of our Armed Forces personnel serving overseas’. 

He mentioned: ‘Yes, they were few in number compared to the number of Girl Guides in the UK. But if you are growing up far away from home, it is so important to have the support, guidance and discipline that being involved in Girlguiding brings.

‘At the very least, they offered a little bit of home to youngsters being brought up so far away.’ The Hemel Hempstead MP mentioned that ‘shutting down the Girlguiding centres in our overseas bases and Overseas Territories is nothing short of an insult to the memory of our late Queen’.

In one other transfer to attempt to shield girlguiding abroad, final month Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle – who has privately expressed his ‘shock and surprise’ on the charity’s selections – convened a gathering involving Girlguiding UK leaders and representatives of the Ministry of Defence, and Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 

The late Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) learns the way to tie a knot with Girl Guides in Frogmore, Windsor in April 1942

In a transfer to guard girlguiding abroad, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle convened a gathering involving Girlguiding UK leaders and representatives of the Ministry of Defence, and Foreign & Commonwealth Office

But he then obtained a letter from Girlguiding bosses warning him that their ‘tough decisions’ shouldn’t be topic to ‘political interference, perceived or otherwise’.

Last night time, Girlguiding UK mentioned that the ‘difficult decision’ to shut BGO was based mostly ‘on the organisation’s future skill to run an abroad operation in 36 nations and territories, every with separate legal guidelines and laws’.

It added: ‘We have always been clear that the way forward will be different for girls and volunteers depending on which country they live in. British Overseas Territories have had different options available to them because of the way guiding associations in those areas are run.’

Sir Lindsay declined to remark.