THIS year marks the 125th anniversary of the Girls Brigade.

To celebrate the milestone we’ve brought you a gallery of photos from our archives showing local Girls Brigade groups over the decades.

The Christian youth organisation has its roots dating back to 1893 when the Girls Brigade of Ireland was formed in Dublin by a woman named Margaret Lyttle. She started the first ever group for girls at Sandymount Presbyterian Church in Dublin. This was the Victorian age when girls and women were still without so many of the rights we take for granted today.

Helping girls to discover personal Christian faith was at the heart of Mrs Lyttle’s innovative mission. In 1965 the Irish branch amalgamated with two other UK Christian groups - the Girls Guildry of Scotland and the Girls Life Brigade of England and the organisation entered its modern chapter as the united ‘Girls Brigade’.

Today there are more than 600 groups - also known as companies - across the UK, including on Canvey, in Laindon, Leigh, Billericay, Southend and Rayleigh. The brigade is also represented in 50 countries worldwide - from Anguilla to Zambia. Over the years young girls joining the brigade have sworn to carry out good works and be true to the group’s Christian ethos and its motto “onwards and upwards”. Members have been able to work towards securing badges in hundreds of areas, from anatomy and astronomy to knot-tying, wool-rug making and pianoforte. Today the organisation embraces causes such as bullying, children’s mental health and local community issues.

Here are some Girl Brigade memories from south Essex..