London: The Scouts have designed a special uniform for Muslim girls to cater for their growing female membership.
A hoodie dress and a T-shirt dress which encapsulate the adventurous spirit of Scouting are now available to attract recruits from Muslim families.
It is hoped that the new uniforms will allow the movement to build on its growing popularity with girls. Around one in six of the 400,000 UK Scouts is a girl.
At present a typical uniform for a girl Scout includes a short-sleeved T-shirt and no headgear. The new dresses both have long sleeves, are knee-length and can be worn with a headscarf.
They feature orange symbols based on the Scout badges for camping, canoeing, scuba diving and windsurfing.
There are currently 2,000 Muslim Scouts and 40 Scout groups which have predominantly Muslim members in Britain. Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: "Scouting has something to offer everyone, no matter your religion, ethnicity or belief, and I'm so proud that we offer an environment for people of all backgrounds to come together."
