Adventurous Ribble Valley girls brave the cold and ice at Girlguiding winter camp

Hundreds of Guides and Rangers attended Sparkle and Ice, a weekend event held at Girlguiding’s activity centre at Waddow Hall, near Clitheroe.

The weekend gave girls the chance to have adventures and try the fun challenges on offer. Activities ranged from rock climbing and abseiling to testing their survival skills by making shelters and building fires. The groups then layered up to endure colder temperatures overnight - the ultimate challenge of winter camping.

Guide Ella (14), said: “I did an escape room which I’ve never done before. It’s been fun, adventurous and cold!” Meanwhile, 17-year-old Alison, a young leader, said: “It’s lots of fun. The most adventurous thing I did was the zip wire – that was pretty scary.”

A spokesman said: "Adventure is a top issue for girls; 76,000 girls told the charity for its Future Girl manifesto they want to feel adventure is for them - without worrying about being treated differently or feeling unsafe because they are girls. Girlguiding gives girls opportunities to have the fun and adventure they want, as well as develop life skills and make friends. 'Have Adventures’ is a key theme in the charity’s programme, with girls able to earn badges like Navigator, Whittling, Backwoods cooking and Bushcraft. This is the fourth year Sparkle and Ice has been held. Hundreds of girls and young women joined the three camps which took place across Girlguiding’s activity centres in Lancashire, Hampshire and Sussex. Girlguiding was able to run this event thanks to support received from players of People’s Postcode Lottery which raises money for charities and good causes across Great Britain. The funding has enabled more girls to have adventures and build their confidence."

For more information about how to get involved with Girlguiding, the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk.