Protect the Peaks – Take It Home: A Girlguiding Journey of Action and Impact
4th September 2026
What started as a simple idea by the girls of 1st Clapham & Austwick Brownies and Guides has grown into a community campaign with a message we hope will continue to make a difference across the Yorkshire Dales.
Our Protect the Peaks – Take It Home campaign began because the girls were increasingly frustrated by seeing litter while enjoying the countryside around us. Rather than simply talking about the problem, they wanted to create a campaign that encouraged other people to take responsibility for their rubbish.
What will you do differently after taking part in this campaign?
I will take my litter home and make others take theirs home as well. Guide – Nala
From an idea to a real campaign
The girls researched the effects of litter on wildlife, livestock and the environment before developing their own ideas. They designed campaign posters and outdoor signs, created the Protect the Peaks Pledge, produced Litter Hero badges and developed games and activities to help educate others.
With support from an Inspire Grant from North Craven Council, the girls also spent two sessions at Settle Stories learning about filming and media production. They wrote their own scripts, filmed footage and interviews and produced two campaign videos. This gave them an amazing opportunity to develop skills that they would not normally have access to.
The campaign has received fantastic support from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, who helped us develop the final designs for our outdoor signs. With grant support, we have now produced 320 durable Foamex signs, which are being placed in suitable locations through our Sign Guardian scheme.
Taking our message into the community
The girls have not been afraid to get out and talk to people!
We have attended local village fetes, created a display for the Settle Flowerpot Festival and recently attended Settle Market, where we ran a free Protect the Peaks activity stall and spoke directly to members of the public about litter and our pledge.
How did you feel when we launched our campaign ?
I like it because it helps the environment, Brownie – Ivy
I feel happy, Brownie – Hallie
I like it as it will help the environment and makes me feel proud. Brownie – Ayda
We are also working with local businesses, encouraging them to display our Protect the Peaks pledge posters and campaign signs so that the message reaches visitors as well as local residents.
The girls have developed enormous confidence in approaching people, explaining the campaign and asking them to get involved. What started as a litter project has become a fantastic opportunity to develop communication, leadership, teamwork, creativity and community engagement skills.
And we aren’t stopping!
We are continuing to encourage walking companies, Three Peaks challenge organisers, local organisations and community groups to share the campaign with their visitors and participants.
We are also looking at ways to encourage the use of reusable water bottles, recruit more Protect the Peaks supporters and develop the Sign Guardian network.
And now we are working on the little extras needed to complete the Girlguiding Eco Award for both our Brownies and Guides. The girls are looking at how they can build on everything they have learnt and turn their campaign into an even stronger environmental project.
We are incredibly proud of how far the girls have taken their idea.
💚 Our message remains simple:
Take your litter home.
Respect the countryside.
Protect wildlife and livestock.
Encourage others to do the same.
Our journey continues – and we hope that the girls will inspire many more people to Protect the Peaks – Take It Home.
Find out more and sign the pledge: www.tinyurl.com/protectthepeaks
Jill Crowson, Leader, 1st Clapham & Austwick Brownies and Guides