St Thomas' Rainbows celebrates 30 years

Sun, 16 Jul 2023

St Thomas’ Rainbows, part of Girlguiding Isle of Man, turn 30 this autumn and invite previous members to join them for a special celebration.

All past and present members, leaders and volunteers from the St Thomas’ Girlguiding Rainbow unit are invited to The St Thomas’ Church Family Service on Sunday 8th October at 11am to gather together for a special birthday celebration.

Originally established in 1993 in response to local demand following the introduction of Rainbows in the UK in 1987, St Thomas’ Rainbows was one of the first Rainbow units on the Island. 30 years on, the unit is still based at its original meeting place, St Thomas’ Church Hall.

Karen Walker, Assistant Leader when St Thomas’ Rainbows opened, has remained with the unit since its inception, and has held the position of Guider in Charge since 2002. A Guider since 1988, Karen has held various senior roles in Girlguiding Isle of Man while continuing to run St Thomas’ Rainbows.

Karen commented: “Hundreds of girls have been involved with St Thomas’ Rainbows over the years. We’d love as many as possible to join us for a special reunion and celebratory cake at the St Thomas’ Family Service in the Autumn.

“Rainbows has changed so much over the years. As part of the Guiding movement, this is what we do – we change with the times. Over the years the uniform has evolved to a versatile tracksuit (from the original tabard), the girls can now earn a wide range of badges and they can even take part in sleepovers (which are always a massive hit!)

People often ask me why I do Rainbows. It’s simple; when life is tough and work is hard, there’s nothing better than coming to Rainbows and seeing the world through the eyes of a 5 year old – it simply rebalances you! Being a leader has given me so much delight over the years, seeing so many young ladies grow and develop before moving up to Brownies”.

To get in touch with St Thomas’ Rainbows, contact Karen on karenwalkerguiding@gmail.com.

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