Girlguiding group designs badge in honour of leader Heather Porter

The Girlguiding North Lonsdale division has created a new Twinkle for Heather badge in honour of Heather Porter, known as Twinkle when she was a Rainbow leader, who died in April last year.

Heather, 22, from Dalton, was a Girlguiding member from age five. She started as a Rainbow until she turned 18 and later became a senior section member and young leader at her local Rainbow and her mother's Brownie unit.

Heather Porter. (Image: Submitted)Guiding leaders Barb Quine and Glenn Wright originally came up with the idea to create a badge to support the mental wellbeing of their members and become a legacy in Heather’s name.

"The whole family was very touched that Heather had an impact on the other members of Girl Guiding," said Heather's mother Sarah Milligan. 

"They wanted to recognise the hard work that she had put in when she was alive so we came up with the idea to encourage mental well-being."

The badge has been designed for everyone, from age five to adulthood, to support the five basic steps to mental well-being by focusing on mindfulness, connecting with others, being physically active, learning new skills and giving to others.

It involves creating a self-care box and participating in various free choice activities to benefit mental health, including sports, mindfulness and art.

The badge is received when the challenge is completed, and they have so far sold over a thousand of them. Each badge costs £1, with money going to the North Lonsdale Division Guides and, in the future, going towards the charity Papyrus, dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health.

This badge has been developed in memory of Heather Porter. (Image: Submitted)"I would like to think that Heather would have been really proud of the amount of work that we have put in," said Sarah.

"She would be proud of the badge design and I think overall she would be extremely proud that we are trying to give people the tools to look after themselves.

"We are trying to reduce the stigma about talking about mental health and trying to get people to have those uncomfortable conversations that aren't easy to have. Hence, some of the activities in the challenge pack can encourage open conversations without thinking about it."

Guiding leader Barb Quine remembered Heather as an 'amazing' young girl.

"She went to Romania with Girlguiding twice to look after children in an orphanage. She was full of life and a lovely girl," said Barb.

Girlguiding North Lonsdale division is also working in collaboration with schools and charities such as the Barrow charities Every Life Matters and Women's Community Matters and the project Three Dads Walking.

The Twinkle for Heather challenge pack can be accessed here.