Last week we featured the heart-warming story of how the First Hawkwell Girls’ Brigade in Rochford, was marking its 50th birthday.

To celebrate this achievement we have scoured our archives to bring you some nostalgic photos of Girls Brigade groups in south Essex.

The Girls Brigade GB organisation has been going strong since 1965 when three UK-based Christian groups amalgamated – one of these was the Girls Brigade of Ireland which had been formed as early as 1893 in Dublin.

Today the Girls Brigade has more than 600 groups - also known as companies - across the K and is represented in 60 countries worldwide.

Here in south Essex there are a number of Girls Brigade groups which are open to girls aged four and over.

Above, we take a look back at some of the local groups to have appeared in the Echo over the years.