BROWNIES from all over Gloucestershire have held an extra-special birthday party - one to mark the 100th birthday of Brownies.

The last year has seen hundreds of thousands of Girlguiding members from all over the UK celebrate The Big Brownie Birthday – and Gloucestershire Brownies chose to hold one last party to bring the celebrations to a close.

The girls took the lead in planning the festivities, by voting to have a weekend away at PGL Liddington in April this year and a giant birthday party taking over Cattle Country near Berkley.

They welcomed 390 Brownies and 70 leaders from across the county to the party on September 20 and festivities included indoor play barns, soft play, drop slides and tubes, canoeing, climbing net, inflatable jumping pillows, swings, trampolines, zip wire, castle, meeting the animals and, of course, birthday cake for everyone.

Brownie Chloe, 10, said: “Cuddling the guinea pig was the best bit of the party.”

Brownies Loretta and Millie, 9 and 10 said: “Today we’ve done drop slides and trampolines. Brownies is really fun, we’ve both done our swimming badge.”

Brownies Tabitha and Daisy said: “The best bits have been the bouncy pillows and the big slides in the barn.”

Leader Ali McEwan said: ‘This was an opportunity for all Brownies to enjoy a finale to the 100 year celebrations, – this year is all about the Brownies, so it was right that they chose how to celebrate. Everybody had a great time and it was a fitting way to mark 100 years of Brownies.’

Brownies opens up a world of exciting challenges to girls aged seven to 10, giving them the space to try new things and make brilliant friends. Girls take part in a hugely varied weekly programme incorporating everything from stargazing, world issues and science to abseiling, canoeing and zip wiring.

For more information about The Big Brownie Birthday and how to join Girlguiding – the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK – go to http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/