A CROSS Hills girl is taking action for change as part of a ground-breaking campaign by the Girlguiding movement.

Tamara Dobson was among several Guides from the north-east region who spent three days in intensive workshops at the University of York.

The aim of the Action for Change project is for girls and young women to take positive action in their communities and beyond.

Tamara was among more than 40 females aged 14 to 25 from across the North East who attended an inspiration weekend intended to skill them to build a fairer world.

Girlguiding believes the campaign, supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, is another step forward in its work to enable girls to be a powerful force for good.

Tamara, from the Cross Hills Senior Section, and fellow delegates heard from inspirational ‘change makers and influencers’ speakers such as Stevie Wise, Claire Young and Chella Quint.

Tamara also took part in workshops to learn skills so she could develop the project to make an impact on the lives of girls and young women her own community.

She said: “Seeing the changes others have made has inspired me, hearing about Stevie’s simple campaign that worked has really give me confidence.”

Speakers included campaigner Stevie Wise, who leads #SexistSurcharge a campaign for equal pricing of mens’ and women’s toiletries.

Claire Young is a former Apprentice candidate and founder of School Speakers while Chella Quint is a menstruation educator and founder of #periodpositive.

Action for Change aims to give hundreds of young women in Guiding the skills, confidence and ongoing support they need to speak up about the issues that matter to them.

The organisation hopes that this will create the largest girl-led advocacy network in the UK.

Julie Wright, who organised the event on behalf of Girlguiding North East England, said: “The young women who have taken part are now inspired to do something really positive in their locality.

“Through the training and development they have undertaken this weekend they are now equipped to make change in their communities all over the North East.”

Action for Change follows eight years of projects by Girlguiding aimed at empowering girls and young women.

The charity established the national youth panel Advocate in 2009 and four years later backed the successful No More Page 3 campaign.

The campaign badge Be The Change was launched for girls aged 10 to 14, then in 2014 Girlguiding launched the campaign Girls Matter.

Campaign issues included compulsory Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) in schools, modernisation of Sex and Relationships Education, a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment in schools, and equal representation of women in Parliament.