Next year, the worldwide Guiding movement will celebrate its 100th year – but the 3rd Selkirk group is facing closure within a matter of months because of a shortage of leaders.

An appeal in 2007 warned that without new recruits, it would be forced to shut by Christmas. But, after just one new leader applied, the group was thrown a lifeline when local parents and Brownie leaders stepped in to keep it running.

However, now leaders say help is desperately needed to keep the Girl Guide movement alive in the town.

Assistant Brownie Guider Gill Boyes, who is among those temporarily running the local group’s weekly meetings, said: “We desperately need people to take on the Guides. At the moment, the plans are for the Selkirk group to close by the summer unless we get new leaders.

“Both the Brownies and the Guides meet on Thursday, and it’s a lot of extra work for us at the moment but, as leaders, we don’t want it to go and the kids would be very disappointed. They’d have to travel to Galashiels or Tweedbank if this one shut.”

Many small voluntary organisations were hit badly by the introduction of comprehensive background checks on adults who work with youngsters, introduced under the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003.

However, former guider-in-charge Elspeth Boland, who has been involved across the Borders for 18 years, running the Selkirk unit for the last five, says despite the burdensome red tape surrounding the application, the rewards of being a Guide leader are huge. She stepped down late last year to go on maternity leave and this week told The Wee Paper she’s now worried about the future of guiding in the town.

“It’s such an important group and it would be terrible to see it fold. It helps young girls develop life skills and independent living skills. It’s a great place for them to meet girls from other schools and it really helps reinforce community in a place like Selkirk,” said Elspeth.