The secretariat of WAGGGS, the World Bureau, was first set up in 1928 and has moved to its current location, the Olave Centre in north London, UK, in 1984.
Originally a residential building built in 1810, it was named after the First Earl of Rosslyn, Rosslyn Lodge, who became Lord Chancellor in 1793. During the First World War, the building was used as a hospital, a hotel, a nurses' home and a hostel.
Today Rosslyn Lodge is part of the Olave Centre, home of both the World Bureau and Pax Lodge World Centre, which completed Olave Baden-Powell's dream of uniting the World Bureau with the World Centre in London.
You can find the World Bureau in north London:
Olave Centre
12c Lyndhurst Road
London
NW3 5PQ
UK
The work of the World Bureau
The World Bureau provides services to, and a link between, WAGGGS' Member Organisations, and to National Organisations Working Towards Membership; supports National Organisations in their preparations for Associate and Full Membership; assists with the overall planning and coordination of World Conferences and World Board meetings; and implements decisions taken at World Conferences, World Board and Committee meetings.
The work of WAGGGS is conducted in four official languages: English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
WAGGGS staff structure
A Chief Executive - who is responsible to the World Board - heads the World Bureau made up of a multi-national staff team of around 100 professionals. The World Bureau is divided internally into the below departments:
- Core Mission
- Membership and Regional Support
- Global Programmes
- International Operations
- Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships
- Governance and Corporate Services