GIRL Guides in Tavistock have joined millions of others across the country in celebrations to mark the end of the girlguiding centenary year.

Members from all sections assembled in the town square recently, with decorated lanterns, before moving along to Tavistock Methodist Church for the countdown to the end of the centenary year at 20.10hrs on 20/10/2010 at the ceremony named 'Vision'.

A live television link to the national ceremony with chief guide Liz Burnley, led the renewing of the Guide Promise. The celebration was also a time for members to reflect and reaffirm their commitment to guiding, and look to the next 100 years and express their vision for the future.

Tavistock's centenary began in September last year, with a launch party at Buckland Abbey, encompassing an afternoon of activities, a cake and a candle ceremony. A celebratory rose was presented to the abbey.

The guides also held a mass bulb planting event on the banks of the River Tavy, planting more than 300 bulbs, celebrated World Thinking Day in February and held a rally of past and present members of guiding in Tavistock Meadows in May.

Guides took part in Tavistock Carnival dressed in archive costumes, visited an activity centre on the Isle of Man, and older guides and rangers visited Switzerland, where a presentation of the Chief Guide Award was made to four rangers at the Ice Palace at Jungfraujoch.

During the twelve months members also worked on several specially commissioned centenary badges, including creative cookery, music and drama, water and sport.

Girl Guiding UK is the UK's largest youth organisation for girls and almost half of all women in the UK have been involved in guiding at some point in their lives.

Anyone interested in finding out more about guiding in the Tavistock area please contact local guiders Janet Piper at [email protected]">[email protected] or Rica Olver on 01822 612743.