Amazing Anglia: Celebrating Girlguiding achievements across the region

On Saturday 5 July 2025, Girlguiding Anglia proudly hosted Amazing Anglia, a special celebration held at Newmarket Racecourse to recognise over 70 exceptional young women for their achievements in Girlguiding. For many of the recipients, this moment had been years in the making, Amazing Anglia gave them the long-awaited recognition they truly deserved.

The day began with a warm welcome and arrival drinks, giving guests time to explore the venue and enjoy conversation with fellow volunteers, supporters and families. A beautifully presented afternoon tea followed, bringing everyone together in a relaxed and joyful atmosphere ahead of the formal proceedings.

At 2:30pm, the event opened officially with a heartfelt welcome from the Girlguiding Anglia Chief’s team, who shared their pride in the awardees and reflected on the impact guiding has on confidence, leadership and community. Guests also heard from children’s author Philippa Leathley, who spoke about her personal journey in Girlguiding, her creative work and belief in the power of perseverance.

 

The highlight of the day was the award ceremony, where each young woman was called to the stage to be recognised for her accomplishments. Awards included the Queen’s Guide Award, Commonwealth Award, Anglia Youth Award, Youth Leader Qualification, DofE Gold Award, and the Guiding Star Award.

“It’s exciting to be celebrated for these awards. They took a lot of hard work, so it’s nice to see it all pay off.” – Queen’s Guide and Gold DofE Award recipient

A special feature of the event was the Bird & Blend Tea Co. stall, where guests were invited to enjoy a variety of hot and iced teas throughout the afternoon. Attendees also received complimentary teabags to take home, a thoughtful touch that was warmly appreciated.

Even more exciting was the opportunity for guests to be among the very first to see the brand-new wellbeing challenge pack, created in collaboration between Girlguiding Anglia and Bird & Blend Tea Co. This new resource, launched just the day before, is designed to support girls in exploring wellbeing through fun, creativity and connection.

“I love the colours of the badge and all the different parts of what the challenge pack encompasses. I’m excited to get it going with my unit and see what the girls think of it.” – Gold DofE Award recipient.

Another highlight of the afternoon was the  Inspire stall, where young women had the opportunity to find out more about Inspire, Girlguiding’s offer for 18-30s. With friendly volunteers on hand to answer questions and share experiences, the stall was a great place for awardees to explore how they can stay involved and take the next step in their guiding journey.

As the day drew to a close, guests captured photos and shared stories from their guiding journeys, leaving with a sense of pride, connection and inspiration. Amazing Anglia was more than a celebration; it was a reminder of the strength of the guiding community and the powerful impact it has on young women across the region.

 

Girlguiding Anglia is immensely proud of all those recognised at Amazing Anglia, and deeply grateful to the families, volunteers and partners who have supported them along the way. We look forward to continuing to empower girls to grow, lead, and make a difference in their communities.