This autumn marks a milestone: 6th Penarth Guides will be 100 years old. On 28 September 1926, a small group of local girls gathered for the very first meeting of what would become one of the town’s longest-running youth groups.

A century later, the unit is still going strong – still meeting, still adventuring, still shaping confident young women – and they’re preparing to celebrate in style. To honour the occasion, a traditional tea party is planned, complete with old-fashioned games, tea, cake, and an open invitation to families past and present. The Guides themselves have thrown in their own ideas too: a time capsule, a letter to the King and a display of historic uniforms. They’re also on the hunt for old photographs, hoping to piece together a visual history of the unit’s first century.

Records from Girlguiding Cardiff and East Glamorgan show that local units were forming as early as 1909, and by the 1920s the movement had taken firm hold across Cardiff, Barry, Penarth, and the Vale of Glamorgan. Penarth’s own units grew steadily, supported by generations of volunteers.

Leader Emily Cooper hopes the milestone will also shine a spotlight on the urgent need for more adult volunteers. Several local Brownie and Guide groups are struggling to recruit leaders, with some facing closure. You don’t need experience – just enthusiasm and willingness to get involved. The centenary offers a chance not only to celebrate an important chapter in Penarth’s history, but also to help secure the future of Guiding for the next generation.