UK County Badges

Within the UK, it became clear shortly after the start of Guiding that a certain amount of devolution of the administration would be necessary. As a result, it was decided that the existing Local Government structure of Counties would be utilised, and a County Commissioner appointed in each County to organise Guiding there. Soon Division Commissioners and District Commissioners were appointed to manage local Guiding in smaller geographical areas, and assist the County Commissioners.

At the same time, Chief Commissioners were appointed for each of the UK countries – in 1960 England was further sub-divided into regions – NW England, NE England, Midlands, Anglia, SW England, and London and South East (nowadays often referred to as LASER).

Over the years, some Counties have been sub-divided to make larger areas more manageable, and smaller Counties have merged, so the list I have provided is a 2024 snapshot, and I would appreciate any updates which people can offer.

In England, each County was allowed to adopt a design for a County badge, and most of these were adopted in the 1920s. Counties in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland were not permitted County Badges, and this continues to be the case – instead they wear only a Country badge – a red dragon for wales, a red hand set on a blue trefoil for Ulster, and originally a thistle set within a blue diamond for Scotland (the Scotland badge has changed twice since then, but has continued to feature a thistle). Below I will list the current Counties, and where I have found them, the County badge (for English Counties) or the fun patch produced for the County where they exist (for Counties in Wales, Ulster, and Scotland).

Aberdeen and Shetland (Girlguiding Scotland) – originally separate Counties, Aberdeen and Shetland is a merger of two former Counties, linked by a ferry and aeroplane route.

Anglesey (Girlguiding Cymru)

Angus (Girlguiding Scotland)

Armagh (Girlguiding Ulster)

Ayrshire North (Girlguiding Scotland)

Ayrshire South (Girlguiding Scotland)

Banff & Buchan (Girlguiding Scotland)

Bedfordshire (Girlguiding Anglia)

Belfast (Girlguiding Ulster)

Berkshire (Girlguiding South West England)

Birmingham (Girlguiding Midlands)

Bristol & South Gloucestershire (Girlguiding South West England)

Buckinghamshire (Girlguiding Anglia)

Caernarfonshire (Girlguiding Cymru)

Cambridgeshire East (Girlguiding Anglia)

Cambridgeshire West (Girlguiding Anglia)

Cardiff & East Glamorgan (Girlguiding Cymru)

Carmarthenshire (Girlguiding Cymru)

Central Glamorgan (Girlguiding Cymru)

Ceredigion (Girlguiding Cymru)

Cheshire Border (Girlguiding North West England)

Cheshire Forest (Girlguiding North West England)

Cleveland (Girlguiding North East England)

Clwyd (Girlguiding Cymru)

Cornwall (Girlguiding South West England)

Cronfa Ddwr (Girlguiding Cymru)

Croydon (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Cumbria North (Girlguiding North West England)

Cumbria South (Girlguiding North West England)

Derbyshire (Girlguiding Midlands)

Devon (Girlguiding South West England)

Dorset (Girlguiding South West England)

Dumfries and Galloway (Girlguiding Scotland) consists of the former Guiding Counties of Dumfries-shire, Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, and Wigtownshire

Dunbartonshire (Girlguiding Scotland)

Dundee (Girlguiding Scotland)

Durham North (Girlguiding North East England)

Durham South (Girlguiding North East England)

East Lothian (Girlguiding Scotland)

East Renfrewshire (Girlguiding Scotland)

East Yorkshire (Girlguiding North East England)

Edinburgh (Girlguiding Scotland)

Essex North East (Girlguiding Anglia)

Essex South East (Girlguiding Anglia)

Essex West (Girlguiding Anglia)

Fermanagh (Girlguiding Ulster)

Fife (Girlguiding Scotland)

Forth Valley (Girlguiding Scotland)

Glasgow (Girlguiding Scotland)

Gloucestershire (Girlguiding South West England)

Gordon (Girlguiding Scotland)

Greater London Kent (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Greater London West (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Greater Manchester West (Girlguiding North West England)

Guernsey (Girlguiding South West England)

Gwent (Girlguiding Cymru)

Hampshire East (Girlguiding South West England)

Hampshire North (Girlguiding South West England)

Hampshire West (Girlguiding South West England)

Herefordshire (Girlguiding Midlands)

Hertfordshire (Girlguiding Anglia)

Highlands and Islands (Girlguiding Scotland) includes the former Counties of Caithness, Sutherland, Ross-shire, Argyll, and Western Isles.

Inverness-shire (Girlguiding Scotland)

Isle of Man (Girlguiding North West England)

Isle of Wight (Girlguiding South West England)

Jersey (Girlguiding South West England)

Kent East (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Kent Weald (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Kent West (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Kincardine & Deeside (Girlguiding Scotland)

Lancashire Border (Girlguiding North West England)

Lancashire East (Girlguiding North West England)

Lancashire North West (Girlguiding North West England)

Lancashire South (Girlguiding North West England)

Lancashire South East (Girlguiding North West England)

Lancashire West (Girlguiding North West England)

Leeds (Girlguiding North East England)

Leicestershire (Girlguiding Midlands)

Lincolnshire North (Girlguiding North East England)

Lincolnshire South (Girlguiding Anglia)

Londonderry (Girlguiding Ulster)

London North East (Girlguiding London and South East England)

London North West (Girlguiding London and South East England)

London South East (Girlguiding London and South East England)

London South West (Girlguiding London and South East England)

London Over the Border (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Manchester (Girlguiding North West England)

Meirionnydd (Girlguiding Cymru)

Merseyside (Girlguiding North West England)

Middlesex East (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Middlesex North West (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Middlesex South West (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Midlothian (Girlguiding Scotland)

Montgomeryshire (Girlguiding Cymru)

Moray (Girlguiding Scotland)

Newcastle upon Tyne (Girlguiding North East England)

Norfolk (Girlguiding Anglia)

Northamptonshire (Girlguiding Midlands)

North Antrim (Girlguiding Ulster)

North Down (Girlguiding Ulster)

North Lanarkshire (Girlguiding Scotland)

North Tyneside (Girlguiding North East England)

Northumberland (Girlguiding North East England)

North Yorkshire North East (Girlguiding North East England)

North Yorkshire South (Girlguiding North East England)

North Yorkshire West (Girlguiding North East England)

Nottinghamshire (Girlguiding Midlands)

Oxfordshire (Girlguiding Anglia)

Pembrokeshire (Girlguiding Cymru)

Renfrewshire (Girlguiding Scotland)

Scottish Borders (Girlguiding Scotland) incorporates the former Counties of Roxburghshire, Tweed Valley, and Berwickshire.

Sefton (Girlguiding North West England)

Sheffield (Girlguiding North East England)

Shropshire (Girlguiding Midlands)

Somerset (Girlguiding South West England)

Somerset North (Girlguiding South West England)

South Antrim (Girlguiding Ulster)

South Down (Girlguiding Ulster)

South Lanarkshire (Girlguiding Scotland)

South Yorkshire (Girlguiding North East England)

Staffordshire (Girlguiding Midlands)

Stockport (Girlguiding North West England)

Suffolk (Girlguiding Anglia)

Surrey East (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Surrey West (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Sussex Central (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Sussex East (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Sussex West (Girlguiding London and South East England)

Tay & Ochills (Girlguiding Scotland) cover the area previously served by two Guiding Counties – Clackmannanshire, and Perth & Kinross.

Tyrone (Girlguiding Ulster)

Warwickshire (Girlguiding Midlands)

West Glamorgan (Girlguiding Cymru)

West Lanarkshire (Girlguiding Scotland)

West Lothian (Girlguiding Scotland)

West Mercia (Girlguiding Midlands)

West Yorkshire North (Girlguiding North East England)

West Yorkshire South (Girlguiding North East England)

West Yorkshire West (Girlguiding North East England)

Wiltshire North (Girlguiding South West England)

Wiltshire South (Girlguiding South West England)

Wirral (Girlguiding North West England)

Worcestershire (Girlguiding Midlands)

Overseas Territories (Girlguiding North West England) – from September 2024, the Overseas Territories are being adopted by and supported by Girlguiding North West England