Girls’ Brigade badges to increase understanding of military community with help of the Methodist Church

Girls’ Brigade launches badges to increase understanding of military community with help of the Methodist Church.

The Girls’ Brigade and the Methodist Church are working together to ensure that military children are welcomed by communities across the country with two new badges for Girls’ Brigade members having been launched at RAF Leeming on Thursday 16 April with the help of the Methodist Youth President, Genesis Padgett.

The two badges, 'Service & Defence' and 'Military Families', recognise the importance of supporting those who serve in our armed forces and the sacrifices that they and their families make, especially during these times of increased global tensions. Girls’ Brigade badges are earned by members as they complete challenges and activities. They reflect growth physically, spiritually and educationally and can cover issues such as the environment, fitness, the arts and service to the community.

The new badges and accompanying resources are funded by the Methodist Forces Board. The Methodist Church has a long history of walking alongside British forces personnel, having been supplying chaplains to the military since the 1850s. The Girls' Brigade is a Christian, uniformed youth organisation.

Many children and young people in military families move home, school and community approximately every two years. This can feel exciting at times but it can also feel unsettling or lonely. Military parents can be sent away at short notice, for an unknown duration of time or with families not knowing where they have been sent and sometimes with little contact.

The new badges do not promote militarism or recruitment but offer a balanced, age-appropriate exploration of the armed forces as part of public service, recognising ethical tensions, peace-making and pastoral care.

Jess Gill serves as the Operations Manager at Girls’ Brigade Ministries. She said, “It's really important that we put something out there to help increase understanding of what the military does on behalf of the nation, what that means to friends and family and how they can be supported.”

The foreword to the resource has been written by Padre Jo Critchley, a Methodist military chaplain currently working at RAF Leeming and a member of the Girl’s Brigade from the age of five, as well as a previous Girls’ Brigade trustee. "Younger generations are growing up in a rapidly changing world and need to be able to think through difficult topics with people they trust.

“My hope is that the young people will grow in empathy for the vital role that so many men and women play in the military.”

Phil Maltby, Forces Development Officer with the Methodist Church, commented, “The Methodist Forces Board has funded the Girls’ Brigade to undertake this work because we recognise the additional pressures on military families. With parents being away and young people moving with all the upheaval that this can bring, we wanted to ensure military families are welcomed wherever they are deployed and to stand in solidarity with the sacrifices that our service families make on our behalf.”

The Methodist Youth President, Genesis Padgett, who was at the launch, commented, “Teenagers will be watching the news and hearing about everything going on in the world. Some will be, or know of people who are, part of the military community. Having parents away can be hard and so can going to a new school and finding new friends.

“It would be great for civilian children around the country to be aware of what it is like to be a family in the military. I hope that these badges will help young people care for each other and ensure forces families are welcomed with understanding.”