Dundalk girls help launch National Cookie Month

Girl Guides all around the country are selling 30,000 packets of cookies during November as part of the inaugural Irish Girl Guides’ National Cookie Month.

Girls from age five-plus will hone their entrepreneurial skills by selling choc-chip cookies to their families, friends and neighbours.

The Irish Girl Guides (IGG) believe that by deciding how many packets to order, how to go about selling the biscuits and how they will spend the proceeds of their sales, the girls will develop money management and business skills.

Alison Cowzer of Dragon’s Den is partnering with IGG for the initiative and the choc-chip cookies are being made in the factory that she co-founded - East Coast Bakehouse, Drogheda, which is the biggest biscuit-making facility in Ireland.

Ms Cowzer is delighted to lend her support, given that “it could take centuries to achieve equality without serious efforts to bring women into male-dominated spheres such as business and politics.”

She said the #FutureCEOs initiative will help foster a spirit of entrepreneurship among Irish girls and young women.

Members of Boyne Valley Brownies, Drogheda, and Dundalk Senior Branch (Brownies is the section of IGG for 7-10 year olds and Senior Branch is for 14-30 year olds) were lucky enough to visit East Coast Bakehouse on 1 November to see where the Girl Guide cookies were made.

Ms Cowzer gave them entrepreneurial tips to help them sell cookies. “You have to get out and talk to people about the cookies … and give them a taste!” she said.

IGG Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon said, “It is hoped that all girls who get involved will develop and strengthen teamwork, communication, money management and goal-setting skills.

“We want to change the imbalance of the number of women in decision-making positions across the various sectors of society such as business, communities, companies and board rooms all around Ireland and beyond. And this begins by giving girls confidence.”

Irish Girl Guides welcomes new members age 5+ and adult volunteers from age 18+ (no previous Guiding experience is necessary). For further info see www.irishgirlguides.ie or tel: 01-6683898.