For new/reopening Rainbow and Brownie units, the following grants are available:
- Start-up grant of £500
- Equipment & resources grant of £50 per active young member (capped at 12 young members or £600)
- Uniform grant of £50 per active young member (capped at 12 young members or £600)
- Subs grant of £50 per active young member (capped at 12 young members or £600)
- Subs grant of £50 per volunteer with their main role in the unit (capped at 3 volunteers or £150)
Please note the start-up grant will be given once the application is approved. The equipment & resources and uniform will be given 3 months after the initial start-up grant. The subs grant will be given once the final subs invoice is available in February 2026. Please note these timelines may change nearer the end of the project.
Eligibility criteria:
- The grant is available to support new or reopened Rainbow and Brownie units operating no earlier than 1 April 2025. The project ends on 31 March 2026.
- For units reopening, they need to have been dormant/closed (without active members) for a period of at least 6 months prior to reopening.
- The new or reopened Rainbow and Brownie units must be located in an area of deprivation (either IMD 1-5 or an area eligible for the Youth Investment Fund) or target an underrepresented community.
- Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is a measure of relative deprivation, based on a total of 37 separate indicators, covering different aspects of deprivation experienced by individuals living in an area. Each area’s overall deprivation score is ranked. IMD details by postcode can be found here. The Youth Investment Fund (YIF) is funded by the UK Government and aims to transform and level up the out-of-school youth sector. Areas eligible for the YIF can be found here.
- The following underrepresented groups are being targeted: young people eligible for free school meals, living in poverty, with SEND, young carers, looked after young people, BAME youth, those with English as an Additional Language, in the secure estate, and those with poor academic attainment.
Please note:
- The grant can only be paid to the unit’s own bank account, not a personal bank account. If the unit does not have its own bank account, then the grant can be paid to the relevant district or division’s bank account.
- For us to confirm your bank account, units will need to provide a copy of the latest bank statement or void cheque/paying in slip. If there is no unit bank account, then you will need to provide a copy of the district or division’s latest bank statement.
- Please keep all receipts for items purchased, such as rent, equipment and uniform in case we need to provide them. Please note, receipts can be requested by the region team at any time.
- We regret we cannot provide funding (for equipment and resources, and uniform) for girls who will join after the unit has been awarded this money, as these are considered running costs and not start-up costs.
- Please note funding is not provided for the purchase of capital items. If you are considering purchasing an item costing more than £250, please contact us for approval.
- Please note any uniform remains the property of the unit and must be returned by any girls who leave the unit.
- Any girls’ uniform purchased using this funding must be purchased from either your local Volunteer shop or the Girlguiding Shop. You will be required to provide a receipt.
- If a unit closes, any funding unspent must be passed on to the district or division.
- Please note the region team may contact the unit for feedback throughout the project period (1 April 2025 - 31 March 2026).
- If you have any questions or queries, please contact growthandretention@girlguidinglaser.org.uk.