Gardner joins Girls’ Brigade to crank up the volume

Romance Academy’s Rachel Gardner has been appointed as president of Girls’ Brigade England and Wales.

The author, speaker and youth worker from north London was elected at a Girls’ Brigade (GB) national meeting on Saturday (9 November 2013) in Didcot.

Rachel is the founder of Romance Academy - a revolutionary relationships project that tackles teen pregnancy and underage sex head on.

She says ‘Modern society is not always good news for girls. There seems to be a constant barrage of messages telling girls to conform to damaging ideals and perform in damaging ways. Navigating a safe way through can be tricky at best and terrifying at worst.

‘GB offers girls a robust vision of life in all its fullness and equips them to meet the challenges of life and faith head on. It inspires them to be the thinking, fearless and compassionate leaders they all have the potential to become. For me, becoming President means holding up a microphone and cranking up the volume about what good news GB is for girls in this generation.’

In England and Wales, GB works in local communities in partnership with local churches. It provides rewarding, stretching and positive opportunities through which currently around 15,000 children and young people, between the ages of four and 18, are growing and developing in confidence, faith and skills in a Christian environment.

GB’s Director Ruth Gilson said, ‘We’re passionate for and about young women and we want them to discover what it means to have life to the full.

‘Rachel is experienced in a wide range of issues that affect their lives in and out of church and her passion to turn up GB’s voice in the Christian community and further afield is very welcome.

‘2014 sees the start of GB’s seventh generation of mission among girls and young women and it’s significant that we have such an inspirational role model as our ambassador for such a time as this.’