Rebel Badge Club Reviews 47

I’ve been a member of the Rebel Badge Club since the back end of 2024 and love it! Having never been to Brownies or Girl Guides as a child the RBC has definitely itched a spot.

I went in full throttle in 2025, doing merit badges, monthlies, quarterlies, an annual challenge, rebel cup, pen pals, book club and local rebellion. This year I’m switching it up a bit and have swapped out rebel cup to join the rebel council, and I’ll also be going to my first ever in-person event later in the year!!

There’s so much choice, with something for everyone, where you don’t need to do everything all at once and get overwhelmed. With new member fb groups to help navigate the club, there’s always someone around who has been a rebel long enough to point you in the right direction if you’re stuck.

I’ve loved my first 18 months as a rebel, and look forward to getting more badges in the future to add to my very first camp blanket!

Charly has given me something I never had as a kid, and I couldn’t be more grateful!!

Life change isn't an overstatement for me, I am starting to make new friendships and doing things I never imagined trying out like learning about particular topics, crafting and learning new skills. A really supportive community.

As someone who has joined this year and have gone all in as a participant I wanted to share my perspective on some of the negative reviews on here as I feel it's important for anyone considering joining, not to feel alarmed or misled when seeing them.
To me, it's a very clear misunderstanding on what the Rebel Badge Club is, as made incredibly clear, it's a business (owned and run by one person), which you as the customer can decide how much you engage with. I think it's not only an incredible idea but has been organised and delivered in a way that allows flexibility and enjoyment whilst remaining safe and inclusive (which is quite rare considering it's open to anyone over the age of 18 world-wide).
Yes they are strict on what can/cannot be posted, this is so that it keeps to what the group is for, prevents confusion, avoid duplication of information and remains respectful. I have had a couple posts not approved, and was given clear feedback as to why, which makes sense (mine would have caused confusion) and I'm grateful for the strictness because it allows for no-drama, easy, inspirational, reading through the posts, rather than stress (which is the case for many public Facebook groups) keeping on point which is all about completing the challenges and activities (called clauses)

Regarding the cost, again with the exception of one book, everything else is optional (even buying the actual badges once you've completed the criteria for a merit badge), joining the Facebook group comes at no extra costs. There are options to pay a small additional cost to participate in additIonal challenges. think of these like an 'add-on' This seems to be an issue for some, of the very few people, who are complaining, but it's no different to say buying an expansion pack to a game, or a higher tier when buying an in-person experience (again, like so many other businesses do) There have been people who have dropped out or not joined on some of these because they currently can't afford it and I haven't seen nor believe there's any judgement or discrimination towards them.

I think the confusion comes when it's often being compared to childhood experiences such as guides/scouts/woodcraft folk and the likes, although yes there's an overlap in the concept (that's the whole point, an opportunity for adults to be able to have that experience to do activities and challenges, earn and collect badges and feel that sense of achievement which isn't related to work), it's not a charity, nor paid for by someone else, you pay for the experience (like you would for anything else) and I think that's something some people aren't quite understanding especially because the kindness, support, sense of community and belonging is what people usually only associate with in non-profit/charity type things.

It's very simple, if you find out it's not your kind of thing, then you can just leave. If you only want the book, you don't have to join the Facebook group, If you want to join the Facebook group but not do any of the additional things, then that's fine too. If you want to do literally everything that's on offer - go for it.
If you are thinking about it, and it appeals to you, I encourage you to give it ago because for a lot of people (the majority) who discover Rebel Badge Club, it's an amazing adventure to embark on that is really about trying new things and having fun, something we adults, often forget to do.

I became a member of the club in late summer 2024 and it is the best decision I have ever made.
I have all 3 books and there is such an excellent variety of clauses to complete a wide range of merit badges, as well as monthly and quarterly challenges.

I highly recommend joining the online community too in order to get the absolute maximum experience. Seeing what other people have been working on is truly inspiring.

There are other groups that you can join alongside the main group, such as the book club, and I look forward to the monthly meetings. The variety of genres read is to be highly commended, at last a book club that doesn't live by "book-tok" rules!

What began as a book has become a global community of thousands with a love of badges. There is definitely a strong feeling of camaraderie within the group and I have made friends for life. It is also refreshing to see a business take e-safety so seriously and I feel comfortable knowing that I am in a safe space when talking to others.

As with all aspects of life, what you put in to something is reflected in what you get out of it. You can take a more laissez-faire approach to Badge Club life or go full throttle and go to game days, take part in the Rebel Cup, meet people in your local Rebellion and take part in official meet ups. I really appreciate the option of being able to do a virtual Rebel Fest twice a year, my first being December 2025. The variety of activities on offer was amazing and I felt exhausted by the end of the weekend in the best possible way!

Buying the first book is easily the best decision that I have ever made.

I absolutely love being a member of the Rebel Badge Club. The self assessed merit badges have encouraged to try things that I kept meaning to try but never had an incentive to do such a learning Italian and reading non fiction books.

I enjoy the monthly badges which have a different focus each month and love the book club which encourages me to pick up a book I never normally would choose.

I find the in person events great fun and enjoyed playing monopoly on a large scale in London and the Summer camp was fab (my chance to be a kid again!)

I have met loads of awesome people through the club and enjoy penpalling with other Rebels from around the world.

I love Rebel Badge Club. It is a small women-owned business, run almost entirely by Charly so don't expect dispatch and delivery times to be like Amazon Prime but even when there is a wait, it's very worth it. Charly posts a lot of updates in the Facebook group and is very responsive to emails too. I've always had great customer service, love the high quality products and the whole vibe of the club.

Books are good quality but don't feel worth the £30 I paid for the book and journal on the official site. I have now completed a good amount of the merit badges and enjoyed doing them.
However I find the online community a bit much and verry opesit the values and ideology the book gives of. With bages that haven't been proven often rejected.
All posts on main group have to be approved but this often feels very controlling and makes having healthy debate and discussion near impossible.

I love the monthly challenge thou often find that due to me not wanting to perchance all the books I am cut off from many of the quality bages which anybody can do thou if participating in the cup you have to physically buy the badges which with the subscription is around £22 pounds for 5 midem badges. A little expensive as i can get medals for less than that.
This is a common theme with the club and It dose make me feel uncomfortable a lot of the time.
I love my local rebellion on the most part but many people throughout rbc are offended if you look at things a different way as the current structure feels and has many cultish attributes.
I do feel that the club isn't a cult but has outgrown its current set up. I'd love it if it was run moor like scouts and girl gides and I was able to only be part of my local group and not forced to be a member of multiple FB groups.
The in person events are expensive to but understandably but I do fell the online events a verry expensive.

I would happily give 5 stars but have dedicated due to costs of joining and actively participating, and for the many occasions I have been made to feel left out throu the FOMO inducing marketing because I can't justify a pirches.

My intention is to continue with the badges but taking a step back from the community.

I came across the Rebel Badge Book club at a difficult time in my life. Life was challenging and I didn't feel up to it, resulting in breakdown. Through working on the badges, challenges, and joining other Rebels at meetups I have learnt new skills, tried new things and recovered! With the variety of badges offered there is something for everyone. It has also encouraged me out of my comfort zone.
Now retired I have have found the club fun, educational, inclusive and welcoming. I am so thankful for finding these books by Charly Lester.

The idea of merit badges for adults is great, but not unique. There are other, less culty organisations that do something similar.
The owner of RBC will say that there are thousands with positive experiences and thats great.
The problems start if you begin to take a deeper involvement.
People are constantly judged. The club becomes less fun. There are more posts about how people should not disagree with the leaders. There is lovebombing, jargon, praise for converting people, people being scared to disagree. This is all cultish behaviour. If this sounds like fun, get involved! But also be aware that there may be a negative impact on your mental health.
It is definitely a cult!

Overpriced, overhyped and overly controlled

I loved the idea of this book, encouraging adults to try new things and earn badges sounds brilliant. But in reality, it falls flat. The book is overpriced for the content you get, with very basic challenges that feel more suited to children. To make things worse, the badges (which are kind of the whole point) aren’t included, they have to be ordered separately from their website and are far from cheap. Without them, there’s not much incentive to actually complete the tasks.

There’s also a strange layer of control surrounding the whole Rebel Badge Club experience. The official Facebook group feels heavily policed, with little room for independent thinking or neurodivergent approaches. It all comes across more like a cult of personality than a community.

In the end, it feels like a clever business idea that’s lost touch with the fun and freedom it originally promised. Disappointing.

I've been a Rebel for over 3 years now, and without sounding cringe and cliché, it has literally changed my life. I have gone from battling anxiety and depression, to willing to try absolutely anything for a badge! Volunteering for charity? Aced it. 24hr swimming challenge? Bossed it. Develop a new obsession with Geocaching? Absolutely! I've made incredible friends, my confidence has skyrocketed, and keeps my life so entertaining!

I joined Rebel Badge Club back in Nov 2021, but really got involved from Jan 2022 and since then I have done more new things than I thought possible. In addition, I have also made some very good friends through the club.

Charly is a whizz at coming up with fun stuff, activities and events for us to do (with some help from the Rebel Council) on top of the regular merit badges but the lovely thing is that it’s more than just a club, it’s a community. The Spoonie group is brilliant for talking about adaptations for those with all kinds of disabilities. The Rebel Readers & Rebel Pen Pals group are great for more specific focused activities & conversations.

I have had, and I am still having, so much fun within the club and I am very much looking forward to what Charly, the mods & the Council come up with next!

I've been using Rebel Badge Club and the Rebel Badge Books (now 3 volumes!) Since it's early days back in 2021.
The idea behind the books was to give adults chance to learn new skills, and revisit things they enjoyed as kids- without the guilt that having fun seems to develop in us as we get older. 100% I can say the books and attached club do just that!

The books are well written and the badge clauses are well thought out, with members of the club being consulted by the author for advice on making them as disability friendly and diverse as possible. Each subsequent volume has included more clauses based upon the club members' suggestions and requests, it truly is an organic group that tries to cater for as much of the population as it can.

Since it's launch as just one book in 2021, the club now includes optional monthly, quarterly and annual badges that don't appear in the physical books; the Scavenger Hunt in August is always very popular! That particular badge has led to me to becoming a regular supporter of my local ice hockey team- something I would never have looked into or tried, had I not had to take a photo with an ice hockey stick for my imaginary scavenger points!

I have made friends through attending Rebel events, and the pen pals group attached to the main club. Summer camp is a great way to spend a bank holiday weekend and catch up with everyone that I may not have seen for months.

Customer service is excellent. The author is very clear when delivery times may be longer than usual, and usually replies to emails very quickly. Despatch times are fast, and for the size of the business, prices are very fair. (This is a one-person small business, not some multi-national corporation with vast warehouses or production facilities). The author is visible and active in the Facebook groups- not many companies give you such easy access to the person running them!
The Facebook groups all have teams of Moderators to help ensure content is relevant, and also positive. Group rules provide a code of conduct for members, and the community is overwhelmingly positive and supportive, the Rebel community is a lovely place to be part of.

This company keeps on flagging my reviews as bullying and having them removed. I have had an awful experience with this company and its owner.
I have a right to able to express this.
I anticipate a number of rants from the owner who doesn’t allow a response.

I have had to remove my name due to negativity of the members. I have had a bad experience and I trust that I am allowed to voice this for others to be aware that this is the case. Because people should be allowed to voice their opinion as a paying customer.

It is regardless of the thousands who have had a great experience, I have not.

The account was not removed. I removed it because I felt like I was being targeted by people who follow you. Therefore remove my name because I refuse to be bullied by those who surround you any longer.
Therefore remove facts remain, the reason why they were removed because of a word that you claim that you advertise yourself as, however, if this word is put in the text it is flagged. Nice marketing trick there.

Regardless, I want nothing more to do with your company. Remove all of my details from your systems in accordance to GDPR Right to Erasure, this includes Facebook. Please also pass this onto your moderators and administrators, as a business who uses the platform for your business, you should have no issue requesting this if them.

60 plus Where's Wallys racing around Cardiff was a sight to behold! Having never been to Cardiff, this was an excellent way to sightsee. As with all of the Rebel Badge Club events I met lots of new people, spent lots of time outdoors, experienced new things and above all else had lots of fun doing it!

Rebel Badge Club brings so much nostalgia from my Brownie and Guide days and gives me the opportunity to experience new and exciting things.

Having suffered a traumatic event, Rebel Badge Club really has aided my recovery, I work through badges at home to keep my mind busy, and I join events which are accessible to all and allows me the opportunity to take part in fun and games whilst also feeling safe.
Thankyou!

A gathering of 60 fellow Rebels in Reading. What a fantastic day, Disco Yoga, Beautician, Car Maintenance, Mandala Stone Painting and Fondant Icing Sculpture making.
An absolute hoot, the most diverse group of women and men you could ever meet and get along with.
I joined in 2022 aged 60 to help with my mental health issues and this is exactly what I needed. There's no pressure to do everything that's arranged by Charly and the Council, which is just as well as there's so much going on every year. How Charly has enough hours in a day to plan, prepare these activities and badges is beyond me as well as doing her full time job. Summer Camp last year was so amazing, who knew I'd enjoy camping in a tent after my last time in 2001 when my kids were young. Absailing, 3G Swing (never again!), Survival skills, Kart racing & so much more.
In the next 3 months I'm going to do Monopoly runs in Cambs, London & York, I cannot wait to see who my team members will be. There's members based all over the world who share tips, ideas, discussions on badges, how we all go about putting in the work to earn them. There's something for everyone, all genders, all abilities, all walks of life. Give it a go.

All hail the Wizard Wally... says the Red Dragon of the Secret Garden... lol and other mad stuff I get myself roped into at 3am... The Rebel Badge Club is awesome, Charly is only human and she's called upon 24/7. I have discovered a lot about myself with the self awareness badges... that i have no personality as it's ADHD... LOL. That I set myself goals that I have no hope of achieving... and they magically happen... more than 2 dates!!! Omg... I'm a dog again soon...
Xxx Davena

I discovered RBC by chance last summer,ordered the first book and was immediately hooked. So many ways of challenging yourself and learning new stuff along the way. The many possibilities appeal to my slightly ADHD brain and give me a target to work towards. Other reviewers have listed the badges you can do from crafting to adventures to "Adulting" so I will just add there is also a "Spoonies" section where Rebels with various limiting conditions can discuss the different challenges and how best to adapt them to personal circumstance. Unless you're doing it for points (which I'm not as that's too much pressure for me) it's all self assessed - no point in cheating when you're the one deciding if you've done enough to award yourself the badge! My daughter is also a Rebel and we assess each other's efforts which works brilliantly for us. I haven't had so much fun in years!

RBC has really changed my life! It is an amazing woman owned independent business. With lots of opportunities to engage with a like minded community both online and in person. RBC hosts a range of activities from active challenges such as the three peaks challenge to more chill crafting workshops. I have met so many wonderful people through the group and am so grateful!

When I turned 50 and took my eldest to uni I decided that actually parents and all grown-ups are allowed to have fun too!
I joined the Rebel Badge Club and threw myself into the community, which is incredibly welcoming and inclusive.
I have challenged myself to do things I wouldn’t have done, I have made lovely friends I never would have met and most importantly, I found a bit of myself again. Very grateful to have found this club. 🌟

I have been a member of Rebel Badge Club since October 2021. I've completed merit badges outside my comfort zone and completed lots of the monthly and quarterly challenges. I've yet to get to camp but have plans to go next summer.