WELCOME to a world of guaranteed action-packed fun and adventure. That's what being a Guide is all about these days.

The times when youngsters only worked towards tidy room, cookery badges and how to be a good hostess are long gone. These days they are far more likely to be seen helping in the community, gearing up for outdoor pursuits, preparing for lifestyle challenges or going on trips abroad.

But problems coaxing Brownies to become Guides and then finding volunteers to train as leaders is taking its toll.

Founded in 1910, the Guide Association has an estimated 700,000 members in the UK.

At the age of eight, 31pc of the female population are members while estimates reveal that half the women in the UK have been part of the Guide movement at some point in their lives. Across the world, the movement has ten million members in 136 countries.

However, as computers, satellite TV, mobile phones and music compete for adolescents' attention, the numbers transferring from the ever-popular Brownies to Guides are falling.

That coupled with a decreasing number of volunteers wanting to train as leaders has led to fewer Guide packs operating nationally.

But Brownie packs too are suffering. Their success has led to growing waiting lists, but with few warranted leaders on the books, packs can not expand to accommodate demand.

Darlington is a typical example. Carolyn McGuckin, Guide leader at St Augustine's, would like to see more women take up the challenge.

She has just returned from a ten-day international jamboree in New Zealand accompanied by six Guides from across the North-East.

They met thousands of Guides and leaders from all over the world, to take part in challenges, community projects and outdoor activities.

It was an experience which Mrs McGuckin said would stay with the youngsters forever.

She told the D&S Times: "Being a leader is extremely fulfilling because it gives you the opportunity to help youngsters develop their full potential.

"Regional, national and international jamborees are part of that development because everyone mixes together and learns from each other.

"Brownie leaders can also lead guide trips in the UK and abroad but more trained volunteers are needed to enable us to continue the good work."

Every Guide and Guide leader has the opportunity to apply for a trip and each goes through a selection process which includes an interview.

Last month's trip to Dunedin, on South Island, was Mrs McGuckin's first after re-forming the St Augustine's pack six years ago when she moved to the town.

"It rained for most of time we were there," she said, "but it didn't stop us doing everything that was planned.

"Locals said they hadn't seen so much rain fall in over 100 years and the river we were going whitewater rafting on was at its highest in over seven years.

"This led to the challenge along the Taieri Gorge being cut from five days to three after the experts travelling with us deemed the river too dangerous to continue.

"We spent the first five days sightseeing, scuba diving, swimming, sea kayaking and jet boat riding, and we also worked in a public park as part of the community project.

"But cooking outdoors, camp fires, singing and traditional games also form a large part of the jamboree."

In the past five years, Guides from Darlington have been to Alaska, the North Island of New Zealand, Sweden, Mexico, India, Thailand, Singapore, Dublin and Switzerland.

But more women volunteers are needed to become warranted Guide and Brownie leaders to enable the packs to flourish and grow.

"There is a problem in Darlington because there are more girls wanting to be Brownies than we have packs to place them in," Mrs McGuckin added.

"With more trained leaders we can open more packs.

"The trouble seems to be attracting volunteers to the job. I was a Brownie, then a Guide, then a Ranger Guide, but left when I went to university.

"It was when my own children joined Guides that I decided to get involved again.

"I really enjoy the job. It's great to see them coming in as Brownies where everything is planned for them, to seeing them develop as their own people making their own decisions. I wouldn't swap it for the world."

Anyone interested in joining the Guide Association as a leader or a member can find more information on www.guides.org.uk or www.dsga.org.uk.

For local information on Guide and Brownie packs or how to become a leader, contact Gill Shepherd, division commissioner, on 01325 380584.