Story
Women Volunteers of Merthyr Scouts
The Mapping Merthyr Through Women’s Histories workshop brought together staff from across the Libraries and Museum service and partner sectors to uncover, honour, and amplify the stories of women who shaped Merthyr. Informed by insights from the valley‑wide Heritage and Herstories community drop‑ins, participants each chose and reflected on a woman’s story that deserves recognition, creating a collective map of Merthyr’s past through diverse female perspectives. This project marks only the beginning — with hopes to continue these workshops and collaborate with more communities across the valley, further enriching and expanding the narrative of local women’s history.
Written by Rhianwen Edwarda-Long, Outreach Librarian for Merthyr Libraries and Scouts District Lead Volunteer
Scouting has been part of the fabric of Merthyr Tydfil since 1912, creating opportunities, friendships and memories for generations of young people. While many people still think of Scouting as a traditionally male movement, women have always been an important part of its story. For over a century, women in Merthyr have given their time, care and dedication to ensure local Scout groups could flourish and continue to make a difference in the lives of young people.
I feel strongly that their stories deserve to be told because so much of what they have contributed has happened quietly, often behind the scenes. These women were not looking for recognition or praise. They volunteered because they cared about their communities and believed in giving young people opportunities to learn, grow and succeed. They spent evenings running meetings, weekends on camps, and countless hours organising events, fundraising, supporting families and creating experiences that would stay with young people for the rest of their lives.
Many of these women balanced their Scouting commitments alongside jobs, family responsibilities and caring roles. Despite this, they continued to give their time generously, becoming role models, mentors and trusted adults to generations of young people. Their dedication helped shape not only Scouting in Merthyr, but also the wider community.
By capturing and sharing their memories, we can give these women the recognition they deserve and ensure their contribution is not lost to time. Their stories are stories of kindness, commitment, friendship and service. They remind us that Scouting has always been built on the efforts of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for others. Most importantly, these stories challenge the belief that Scouting is a male-dominated volunteer movement. They shine a light on the women whose passion, resilience and leadership have helped shape over a century of Scouting in Merthyr, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire today.