guiding magazine summer 2015

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The quarterly magazine for volunteers

SUMMER 2015

ALSO IN THIS ISSUESummer adventures, girls taking action, global guiding and great ideas for recruiting new members. PLUS News, tips, resources, activities – and YOUR inspiring stories

Fun and friendship

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guiding magazine Summer 2015 | 3

ONLINE OR ON AUDIO?You can read guiding magazine online at www.girlguiding.org.uk. Or order an audio version from 0161 941 2237 or [email protected].

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When I look at guiding magazine (and this issue is another great example), I’m amazed at how far it has come since its relaunch five years ago. Much of the credit for the professional appearance, the engaging tone and the relevant content goes to our wonderful Editor, Jane Yettram. Sadly for us, this is her last issue, so I’d like to thank her warmly for all her work. The magazine also shows what a diverse and dynamic charity we are – and we can all be proud of that.

In this issue there’s heaps to inspire you – fascinating ways in which guiding is growing in harder-to-reach communities, unusual ideas on involving girls in camp planning, and lots on how girls in guiding are changing lives for the better.

Summer’s the perfect time for giving girls a taste of something new in the great outdoors. As a Ranger I discovered water activities – and such exciting new opportunities made me keen to stay in guiding. So be inspired by our feature on adventure on the water (page 20) – trying something similar might kindle a lifelong passion for guiding in your girls too!

Have a lovely summer – and thank you as always for the brilliant opportunities you bring to the girls and young women in your care.

News

4 What’s on, what’s new……and what’s been happening in the guiding world

Inspiration

16 Hands across the globe Guiding shows the way on International Friendship Day

20 Take to the waterForget dry land – try a little aqua adventure

32 Guiding on the move!Pop-up guiding hits the road

34 Everybody’s welcomeMaking a difference to the children of prisoners

36 Let’s talkHave your say on Girlguiding’s membership communications

40 And…action!‘Social action’ a modern concept? We’ve been doing it for decades

44 Girls MatterHow young members spoke out in election season

48 Agents of adventure!Girlguiding’s partner PGL

51 Tried and testedGirls take the lead in camp planning

52 Meet the Muscat GuidesTwo units, nine nationalities

60 A day in the lifeCommissioner Rhian Silverstone

Tools for the job

24 Destination EuropeCastles and more – head overseas to these amazing Guide and Scout Centres

26 Be part of the planWhat you think about ‘Being our best’

39 A brand-new website……is on its way

58 We’re here to helpMeet your local support network

63 Role call!The role models of Tegan Jones, Lead Volunteer for Membership Communications

How to

28 Be your bestPutting the ‘Excellence’ theme of our plan into practice

47 Celebrate The Senior Section SpectacularPlanning ahead for next year’s centenary

55 Get set for SeptemberYour essential checklist

57 Make the most of your guidingGrowing your skills

Your voice

64 Your photos, stories, letters and opinions

Activities

84 Things to make and do for all sections

48

Welcome

On Twitter? Follow Gill @Chief_Guide.

HOW TO BUYThis icon highlights items you can buy direct from Girlguiding. To place an order or to find your nearest volunteer shop, call the Information Team on 0161 941 2237 – remember that when you buy locally, the profits stay in local guiding! Or buy online at www.girlguidingshop.co.uk, open 24 hours a day.

Look out for the Autumn 2015 issue of guiding, arriving on 3 September 2015. Can’t wait that long? Find us on Facebook or join the discussion at www.twitter.com/girlguiding.

News

4 | guiding magazine Summer 2015

reach new areas, which should help us welcome 1,500 girls and young women, and recruit and train 220 new adult Leaders.

4 The new Guide uniform – created by students for our girls, whose views helped develop the design. I love it!

3 Being ranked as the UK’s most inclusive charity as well as the second most empowering and the second most challenging. I’m proud that girls are taking centre stage in decision-making at every level from unit to national, and I’m proud that young members have been challenging perceptions, helping develop Go For It! Breaking Barriers and even winning a top honour at the Body Confidence Awards for our Peer Educators’ work on Free Being Me.

2 Our rising profile! Now, nearly two-thirds of the public know about Girlguiding. That’s because our PR and marketing teams,

What’s on, what’s new and what’s been happening in the guiding world

Chief Guide Gill on a great guiding yearGirlguiding’s AGM took place in May, so – as we all head off for the summer – I’ve been thinking about my personal guiding top ten for the past year. Counting down…10 Our new governance structure

– including a smaller, skills-based Board of Trustees, a Council with more members aged 26 or under, and a pledge to advertise volunteer roles more widely.

9 The new Trainer Qualification – it’s improved training and made it more relevant.

8 The County Commissioners’ conference – bringing all County Commissioners from around the UK together for a weekend helped us focus on their needs and show how valued they are, which in turn will support all they do for local guiding.

7 Money! The income we are generating from our Headquarters project (see number six) and the amount our fundraising team has raised – a cool £1,249,974 – will help us deliver more for girls and keep membership costs to a minimum.

6 Our project to create an ultra-modern HQ – this proves that Girlguiding is a modern, dynamic charity, plus it will bring money into guiding through the lease of part of the building to a hotel chain.

5 Our membership of the Youth United network of uniformed youth organisations. New funding has enabled us to put a development worker in every Country and Region to

our volunteers and our young women – including our inspiring Advocates – have helped us benefit from some fabulous media opportunities on everything from The Big Brownie Birthday celebrations to our body confidence campaign.

1 More members! In at the top slot is the fact that the number of girls in guiding is increasing all the time. In 2014 our membership rose by over 6,300, with the Rainbow section growing the most. So thank you to everyone, including all those who were part of our Make a Rainbow campaign – you helped 99 new Rainbow units open and enabled 4,000 more five- and six-year-olds to join us.

I know you’ll have other ideas for a guiding top ten – and I’d love to hear them. Please tweet @Chief_Guide using #guidingtop10.

Gill with Guides and the Rt Hon Justine Greening MP at the parliamentary launch of Go For It! Breaking Barriers

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Being our bestIt’s three months since the launch of ‘Being our best’, Girlguiding’s plan for the next five years, which aims to make what we do for girls the very best that it can be. In this issue we focus on the key theme of Excellence (see page 28) and also discover what you, our members, will be doing to put the plan into action (page 26) – it makes for inspiring reading!

Plus, we’ve added icons representing the four themes – Excellence, Access, Voice and Capacity – to each of the main features in the magazine, just to show how the work you are doing is already making a difference to girls on every single one of these themes.

INFORMAnnual subscription 2015Thank you to everyone who has paid their subs in full – they are crucial funds that pay for essentials such as programme resources, volunteer support and insurance. Don’t forget to print your ‘Paid in full’ invoice as a receipt for your unit accounts by noon on 1 July. Not yet paid? Contact a member of your County team as soon as possible to arrange payment. For more information, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/subs.

The Guiding Manual – car-washing updateCar washing, which was previously prohibited, is now an accepted activity – after all, it’s an excellent fundraiser! There are a few things each unit now has to do in order to run this activity.+ Contact Volunteer Support to

notify us of your plans.+ Complete the car-washing

checklist for every car – this will be available in the car-washing section of the A to Z of Activities (www.girlguiding.org.uk/guidingmanual).

+ Follow the procedures outlined in the A to Z of Activities.

+ Inform Volunteer Support when you have held the event, how much you raised and whether any damage was caused.

+ Be aware that the first £100 of any damage claim will be passed to your unit to pay.

If you have any queries, please contact [email protected].

A royal celebrationOn 9 September this year HM Queen Elizabeth II will become Britain’s longest-reigning monarch when she overtakes her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria, who was on the throne for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes (more than 63 years).

To celebrate Girlguiding’s Patron – herself a former Guide – making history, we are producing a range of limited-edition souvenirs, including badges (woven, £1, code 7710; metal, £1.50, code 7711), a notebook, a mug and a bag (details to be confirmed). You can pre-order your souvenirs right now via your local volunteer shop, and they’ll also be available from the Girlguiding online shop from 9 September (the big day itself). See page 3 for ways to order.

Getting personal+ Hoodies, bunting, badges and more – the

Personalised Merchandise catalogue is full of items you can personalise to really put your own stamp on local guiding events and trips. And, of course, you have a 100 per cent guarantee that branding will be absolutely spot on, putting paid to any design worries or pitfalls.

+ Personalised neckerchiefs in a wide range of colour combinations can also be ordered through the Personalised Merchandise catalogue – with a new delivery time of just four weeks.

Have a browse through the catalogue at your local volunteer shop or get a copy by calling 0161 941 2237. Voice Excellence Access Capacity

Voice Excellence Access Capacity







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music, film, sporting challenges, talent shows and much more. Registration opens in September – see www.eij.org.uk for more.Charnwood 2016 runs from 30 July to 6 August at Whatton House in Leicestershire, and will bring together Guides and Scouts aged 10 to 17 from all corners of the world. At the time of writing, activities were still to be announced but previous camps have been packed with high-adrenaline activities, chill zones and much more. Check out www.charnwood.org for more information and to subscribe to

Go global at homeYou don’t always need to pack your passport to give girls a great taste of global guiding. Some of the best international camps – where girls can meet fellow Guides and Scouts from across the world – take place right here in the UK.

‘International camps at home are always memorable occasions and show the benefit of being part of a global organisation,’ says Rebecca Cook, Deputy International Commissioner. ‘They give girls and young women the chance to make lifelong friends and to take part together in amazing activities. Plus they often inspire Leaders and girls to head overseas for their next global guiding experience.’

So now’s the time to start planning next summer’s adventure.Essex International Jamboree 2016 will take place in Boyton Cross near Chelmsford from 30 July to 6 August. Thousands of participants aged between 10 and 17 will gather together for eight days of fun – everything from adventurous activities like abseiling to challenges where girls can polish up their entrepreneurial skills. Plus there’ll be

Girls Can!We all know that #GirlsCan do anything. But wearing the T-shirt says it loud and clear to everyone else. This brand-new updated version of our slogan T-shirt costs £12 (sizes S-XXL, order codes 8827-8831) and will help you spread the word about the simple brilliance of girls and Girlguiding. See page 3 for ways to order.

International camps in the UK bring together Guides from across the world

updates.Flame 2016 – for Guides aged 10 to 14 – takes place at Foxlease, Girlguiding’s Activity Centre in the New Forest, from 23 to 29 July. And it’s sure to be packed with brilliant activities – because girls themselves have been putting the options to the test (take a look at our article on page 51). For all you need to know, visit www.flameguide.uk. Want to stay informed about all international opportunities? Search www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘Global opportunities pool’.

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Japan and Japanese culture,’ explains Fie Rason, Girlguiding’s representative on the UK Contingent Management Team. ‘In addition to downloading Japan in a Box, you can also ask a jamboree participant to come and run an evening for your unit. Or, after they return, the 4,000 UK participants – including Guides, Scouts and members of the International Service Team – will happily share their adventures, perhaps inspiring members of your unit to try international opportunities

Join in the jamboreeAn amazing 30,000 young Guiding and Scouting members from around the world will gather in Japan this summer for the 23rd World Scout Jamboree. But even if you’re not heading to the Far East with the 300 members of Girlguiding who are part of the UK contingent, your unit can still be part of the fun with Japan in a Box.

‘This resource for all sections is full of great activity ideas about

themselves in the future.’You can download Japan in a Box or ask for a participant to come to your unit by visiting www.scouts.org.uk/wsj. And you can follow the UK’s jamboree participants on Twitter @ukcontingent.

Countdown to Wellies and WristbandsGrab your marker pen and start ticking off the days on the calendar – Wellies and Wristbands 2015 is now just around the corner.

From 28 to 31 August we’ll be transforming both Foxlease and Waddow Hall into wonderlands of

hot tubs, inflatables and adventurous activities for our annual festival experience. Guides, members of The Senior Section and their Leaders can dance till they drop to music from the latest acts, including Bars and Melody, and the English FA will be bringing some fabulous football fun to the party.

If you can’t be part of it this year, don’t worry – we’ll be back with another amazing Wellies and Wristbands event next year, from 26 to 29 August. So keep your eye on www.girlguiding.org.uk/welliesandwristbands for more information and updates on when bookings will open.

News


Celebrate and give a littleGirlguiding makes a lasting difference to people’s lives. You can help us to ensure great experiences for generations of girls to come by asking your friends and family to collect donations for us at upcoming birthday, wedding or anniversary celebrations, fundraising events such as charity balls or runs, or even in memory of a loved one.

We have produced specially designed collection envelopes in which our supporters can discreetly give a cash, cheque or card donation. These are completely free – to order your envelopes, or for more information and support, email [email protected].

INFORM60-second interviewWe chat with Robert Taylor, Head of Property Management.Q What is your working day like?A Extremely varied. One day I’ll be at an Activity Centre, enjoying the wonderful countryside. The next I’ll be on site at Girlguiding Headquarters, monitoring the building project’s progress or looking at air-conditioning units.Q Why is Girlguiding refurbishing its headquarters?A To make better use of the huge amount of space at HQ. After a thorough assessment we decided on half offices and half hotel, with Nadler Hotels operating the 73-bedroom complex, and over a 25-year period providing substantial income to Girlguiding. Q How is it all going?A The end is in sight! At this point [mid April] the office side has internal walls in place. The next phase is to put down flooring and install lighting. It’s been a long process – we’ve had to redesign the whole internal structure and strip back to bare brick walls. We’re planning a return for the staff team towards the end of June, and another four months to complete the hotel. Q What can members expect from the new building?A There will still be a members’ area, the shop will reopen and ICANDO will provide space for events and sleepovers for members. Q What’s been your best experience at Girlguiding?A The HQ building project actually, because of the long-term financial benefits for the organisation. But what was truly gob-smacking was the first-ever Wellies and Wristbands event. Seeing what guiding is all about and what our Activity Centres can offer young members was a lightbulb moment for me.

Girls’ Attitudes Survey 2015The voices of girls and young women are at the heart of what we do. In order to keep them there, we regularly ask girls what they really think about the issues that affect their lives, how they see the world, what motivates them and what they feel is holding them back.

Central to this is the Girls’ Attitudes Survey, which – as it has every year since 2009 – canvasses opinion from girls and young women aged 7 to 21 across the UK, with questions focusing on a wide range of topics that girls say are important to their lives today. We’re now analysing our research for the 2015 survey – so keep your eyes peeled for the launch of the results.

News


Data protection tipsRecent enquiries from Leaders have included questions about storing parents’ numbers on mobile phones and about sharing contact information securely.+ Leaders can keep parents’ mobile numbers on

their phones, but only if they have explicit permission to do this, including an agreement on how long the information will be kept.

+ Information to be emailed to Home Contacts must be encrypted within the email and destroyed when no longer needed.

More information on all issues relating to data protection can be found in the Keeping Data Safe leaflet, which you will have received with your membership card. And you’ll find full details of Girlguiding’s Data Protection Policy online in The Guiding Manual.

Beating the bulliesThe online world is an amazing resource. Not only a treasure trove of information, it also gives girls a fantastic platform to make their voices heard and enables us all to reach out to guiding friends around the globe. Of course, just like in the real world, there are dangers. But you can help your girls and yourself stay safe online by checking out A Safe Cyberspace (search www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘online safety guidelines’), which gives clear, easy-to-follow guidance.

Make sure girls are also aware of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre), where they can instantly report inappropriate content and images. And don’t forget that organisations such as ChildLine (0800 1111,

Playing safeOur latest research shows that most accidents in Girlguiding happen within the meeting place. Running into furniture, getting fingers trapped in doors, slipping on wet floors and tripping over things are the most common accidents – and are usually minor.

A simple risk assessment can help stop these – and those near misses – happening. So check out the advice on risk assessments in The Guiding Manual. And if an accident does occur, please use the Notification of Accident or Incident form, which you’ll find in your unit’s Emergency File.

www.childline.org.uk) and Kidscape (www.kidscape.org.uk) can offer support whether bullying is happening in the virtual or the real world.Remember! A key way to help girls beat the bullies is by boosting their

self-esteem – something Girlguiding’s peer-education programme does brilliantly. Take a look at ‘Join the body confidence revolution!’ on page 13 to find out more.

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Criminal records checks Girls thrive in guiding because of the secure environment that our hardworking volunteers provide. So it’s essential to make sure criminal records checks are up to date and are repeated at regular intervals.

That’s why from June this year we began introducing rechecks for all roles that need a disclosure check (a full list of roles can be found by searching www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘Girlguiding roles’). And by 2020 the roll-out of regular checks should be

complete so that rechecks take place every five years.

All the important details about integrating these checks into the recruitment procedure were sent to ID verifiers and Commissioners back in May. And there’s no need to worry about keeping tabs on when a check is due because Girlguiding’s membership systems will automatically flag this up.Want to find out more? Just take a look at The Guiding Manual (www.girlguiding.org.uk/guidingmanual).

AWARDSCongratulations to those who have received National Honours and guiding awards.*Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)+ Joan Bartholomew,

Girlguiding Ambassador+ Irene Beschizza, LaSER + Wendy Bradburn, NWE+ Margaret Brennand, NEE+ Christine Davenport,

LaSER + Carol Falconer, NEE+ Elizabeth Ferrier, Scotland+ Carole Graham, Ulster+ Evelyn Lyons, NWE+ Pamela Mason, Midlands + Katherine O’Neil, NEE+ Lesley Strathie, NEE+ Brenda Swithenbank,

Trefoil Guild+ Judith Walters, Cymru/Wales+ Joyce Wiggins, NWE+ Janette Williamson, SWEBritish Empire Medal (BEM)+ Margaret Lovett, LaSER + Doreen Oatham, LaSER + Alison Purkins, Scotland Silver Fish Awards 2014+ Gillian Stott, Cymru/WalesLaurel Awards 2014+ Sharon Applin, LaSER+ Carol Atkinson, NWE+ Vivienne Barke, NEE+ Susan Berry, Anglia+ Kathy Briggs, LaSER+ Jill Duffey, Anglia+ Megan Jones, Cymru/Wales + Morag Liddell, Scotland+ Lesley Marsh, LaSER+ Jean Norton, LaSER+ Morag Sweeney, Anglia+ Christine Tyler, NWE+ Jill Webb, NEE+ Margaret Winter,

ScotlandGuiding Star Awards 2014+ Gabrielle Alderson, NEE+ Isabella Appello, SWE+ Caroline Daboo, Anglia+ Zoe Taylor, SWE+ Ashlea Vaughan, Anglia

The next Chief GuideOur brilliant Chief Guide Gill Slocombe comes to the end of her term in May next year, so we will soon be starting the process to find our next Chief Guide, to serve from May 2016 to May 2021.

Any female member of Girlguiding aged 18 or over will be eligible to put herself forward, and full details of what the role entails and how to apply will be available on the website from November. Applications will be open from 30 November 2015 until 18 January 2016.

The Chief Guide is our most senior volunteer in Girlguiding, and hers is a very diverse role. One day she may be chairing a meeting of our Board of Trustees, the next she may be abseiling down the side of a rock face with a group of Brownies, or articulating the strategic direction for our work, representing our interests in conversation with key external stakeholders, or presenting members of The Senior Section with their Queen’s Guide Awards at Buckingham Palace. The Chief Guide also represents Girlguiding internationally, and travels around the UK throughout the year, visiting local guiding events.

Working in close partnership with the Chief Executive, the Chief Guide is offered a high level of support, including a PA, and all expenses are met. She is also supported by a Deputy Chief Guide, who will be appointed alongside her. The role is demanding – but exciting, rewarding and always fun. Interested in applying? Know someone else you think would be fantastic in the role? Look out for more details in November.

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Criminal records checks Girls thrive in guiding because of the secure environment that our hardworking volunteers provide. So it’s essential to make sure criminal records checks are up to date and are repeated at regular intervals.

That’s why from June this year we began introducing rechecks for all roles that need a disclosure check (a full list of roles can be found by searching www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘Girlguiding roles’). And by 2020 the roll-out of regular checks should be

complete so that rechecks take place every five years.

All the important details about integrating these checks into the recruitment procedure were sent to ID verifiers and Commissioners back in May. And there’s no need to worry about keeping tabs on when a check is due because Girlguiding’s membership systems will automatically flag this up.Want to find out more? Just take a look at The Guiding Manual (www.girlguiding.org.uk/guidingmanual).

AWARDSCongratulations to those who have received National Honours and guiding awards.*Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)+ Joan Bartholomew,

Girlguiding Ambassador+ Irene Beschizza, LaSER + Wendy Bradburn, NWE+ Margaret Brennand, NEE+ Christine Davenport,

LaSER + Carol Falconer, NEE+ Elizabeth Ferrier, Scotland+ Carole Graham, Ulster+ Evelyn Lyons, NWE+ Pamela Mason, Midlands + Katherine O’Neil, NEE+ Lesley Strathie, NEE+ Brenda Swithenbank,

Trefoil Guild+ Judith Walters, Cymru/Wales+ Joyce Wiggins, NWE+ Janette Williamson, SWEBritish Empire Medal (BEM)+ Margaret Lovett, LaSER + Doreen Oatham, LaSER + Alison Purkins, Scotland Silver Fish Awards 2014+ Gillian Stott, Cymru/WalesLaurel Awards 2014+ Sharon Applin, LaSER+ Carol Atkinson, NWE+ Vivienne Barke, NEE+ Susan Berry, Anglia+ Kathy Briggs, LaSER+ Jill Duffey, Anglia+ Megan Jones, Cymru/Wales + Morag Liddell, Scotland+ Lesley Marsh, LaSER+ Jean Norton, LaSER+ Morag Sweeney, Anglia+ Christine Tyler, NWE+ Jill Webb, NEE+ Margaret Winter,

ScotlandGuiding Star Awards 2014+ Gabrielle Alderson, NEE+ Isabella Appello, SWE+ Caroline Daboo, Anglia+ Zoe Taylor, SWE+ Ashlea Vaughan, Anglia

The next Chief GuideOur brilliant Chief Guide Gill Slocombe comes to the end of her term in May next year, so we will soon be starting the process to find our next Chief Guide, to serve from May 2016 to May 2021.

Any female member of Girlguiding aged 18 or over will be eligible to put herself forward, and full details of what the role entails and how to apply will be available on the website from November. Applications will be open from 30 November 2015 until 18 January 2016.

The Chief Guide is our most senior volunteer in Girlguiding, and hers is a very diverse role. One day she may be chairing a meeting of our Board of Trustees, the next she may be abseiling down the side of a rock face with a group of Brownies, or articulating the strategic direction for our work, representing our interests in conversation with key external stakeholders, or presenting members of The Senior Section with their Queen’s Guide Awards at Buckingham Palace. The Chief Guide also represents Girlguiding internationally, and travels around the UK throughout the year, visiting local guiding events.

Working in close partnership with the Chief Executive, the Chief Guide is offered a high level of support, including a PA, and all expenses are met. She is also supported by a Deputy Chief Guide, who will be appointed alongside her. The role is demanding – but exciting, rewarding and always fun. Interested in applying? Know someone else you think would be fantastic in the role? Look out for more details in November.

*Terms and conditions apply. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Only valid on production of Girlguiding identification at the till point or discount code online. Offer expires 31.12.15

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The next exciting adventure is drawing closer; all that’s missing is great kit and expert advice to keep you safe and comfortable in the outdoors this summer. At your local Cotswold Outdoor store, our friendly and knowledgeable staff can offer free services including; boot and rucksack fitting, kit talks and meeting space for Girlguiding groups.

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And the best part? You can complete the qualification easily over the course of a residential event lasting two nights or longer – either your own unit’s or someone else’s – so you get to combine personal development with having a really great time.

To get started, all you need to do is contact your Commissioner. The scheme itself is available as a paid-for download from www.girlguidingshop.co.uk (£1.50, order code 6480) and once completed you will be awarded with a stylish new badge and certificate (available from your local

Considered catering?Keen to add to your arsenal of knowledge and skills? Already know your quorn from your quinoa? If so, you might like to get stuck into our newly revamped Catering Scheme.

Open to members aged 18 or over (and non-members who have been recorded on Go! as a Residential Occasional Helper), the Catering Scheme covers all aspects of catering at a residential event, from buying kitchen supplies to safety arrangements in the kitchen.

Badge Secretary). Not only that, but if you go on to complete your Going Away With Licence you can automatically be accredited with Module 5 of the Going Away With Scheme (£5.50, order code 6478 – see page 3 for how to order), so you’ll be well on your way to achieving that too! Please note that a person can cater at Girlguiding residential events without this qualification.

Join the body confidence revolution!Our Peer Educators are pretty amazing young women – inspiring role models for younger members as they navigate the complex issues they face growing up. Unsurprisingly, their Free Being Me sessions are in very high demand. But if you can’t wait to get your unit involved with our body confidence revolution, never fear – from now on Leaders, as well as Peer Educators, can run the Free Being Me programme developed by WAGGGS and Dove, meaning that no girl misses out.

Leaders can use the Free Being Me packs available from new.girlguiding.org.uk/building-body-confidence to get their girls talking about image myths and self-esteem. You don’t need to receive training to run the resource, but there is an e-learning available from WAGGGS at www.free-being-me.com/support-leaders if you’d like some help. And, of course, once your unit has completed the programme, you all earn the Free Being Me badge (55p, order code 7005 – see page 3 for how to order).

Peer Educators will continue to

deliver their fantastic Free Being Me sessions, as well as others on healthy relationships and youth health. If you’d like to invite a Peer Educator to your unit, all you need to do is email [email protected]. We’ve also been consulting our Peer Educators to find out what issue they’d most like to tackle next so that we can put together a brand-new peer-education resource. Look out for more in a future issue of guiding and your e-newsletters.

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Our store colleaguesare fully trained in pet care, and enjoy educating children in a fun and engaging way.

VISIT OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PETS AT HOME STORE TODAY AND ARRANGE AFREE PETWORKSHOP

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designers work hard to make downloads as printer-friendly as possible, but you can cut costs further by ticking the box marked ‘Print in grayscale (black and white)’.

+ Flip the page – printing on both sides cuts your paper bill in half. All you need to do is remember to change your print settings to ‘Print on both sides of paper’.

+ Claim it back – printing resources from the website is a legitimate cost and can be claimed

Print and save!We know how important it is to keep down the costs of running your unit, while maximising the fun and adventure you offer your girls. That’s why we produce loads of our fantastic resources as free or inexpensive paid-for downloads. To make sure you take full advantage, here are some simple tricks for you to remember.+ Print only what you need

– don’t feel you have to print the whole resource if you’re going to be using only one activity. You can print a single page or a selection of pages by selecting ‘Pages to print > Pages’ and then typing in the page numbers you need.

+ Switch to black and white – our

£10), with all four badges reduced from £1 to 80p each (order codes 8500-8503).

+ Our eco-friendly Recycled Fleece (above centre), made from 100 per cent recycled polyester micro fleece, is now just £15, down from £24 (sizes 12 to 28, order codes 8704 to 8712).

See page 3 for ways to order.

Great guiding offersWe’ve dropped the prices on several items in our Girlguiding shops. + The Polka Dot T-shirt (above

left, sizes S-XXL, order codes 8677-8681) is now half price at just £6 (while stocks last).

+ Together We Can (order code 6542) – the inspiring resource that helps girls play their part in working towards the UN’s Millennium Development Goals – is now £7 (down from

Meet our new trusteesEarlier this year we welcomed three new members to the Board of Trustees.+ Teacher Su Hassall

has been a Leader with The Senior Section for 20 years. She is also a Trainer and chair of Guiding Development for her County. Her previous roles have included GOLD Coordinator and International Commissioner.

+ Social worker Helen Humphreys, who works for Ofsted, is a Rainbow Leader and a Trainer. Previous roles include Adult Support Committee chair, Centenary Management Committee member, Community Action Adviser and Safeguarding Lead Volunteer.

+ Jaki Booth, our new external trustee, is Chief Executive of The University of Sheffield Students’ Union. She was a mentor at our recent Camp CEO event and is a former Girlguiding member and Leader.

back from your unit funds, so keep the receipt next time you buy a ream of paper or a printer cartridge.


Inspiration

When a group of Leaders from Kent East County went to bricklaying evening classes back in 1995, their aim was simple: to travel to Africa as part of a service project with the Kenyan Girl Guide Association and help establish a new campsite in the village of Kimalel, an hour’s drive north of Nairobi.

But 20 years on, the project has achieved things beyond their wildest dreams. There’s now a playgroup, nursery and senior school, as well as a clinic and a library. Clean water is readily available from three tanks on the site and a bore hole. The local

women’s group is thriving, and the potential of girls has been recognised – the community is now sponsoring them in further education, and around three quarters of the pupils at the secondary school are girls. Plus guiding has grown so much in the area that the District where Kimalel is located has now become Baringo County.

TeamworkIt just goes to show the incredible change that can take place when communities work together. For Kent East it’s meant years of fundraising

– from boot fairs, barn dances and busking to sponsored walks and silences. In the early days, the County raised £35,000 over two years to build a brick bungalow in Kimalel that Brownies could use for holidays. Meanwhile, guiding in Kimalel reached out to local groups and other funding sources to make things happen.

When the first girls from Kent East visited in 1999, it was a culture shock, admits Chris Martin, the County’s former International Adviser and Kenya project coordinator. ‘They were embarrassed

Hands across the globe

Sometimes it seems that news from

around the world is about nothing but

conflict. But guiding is a global organisation

that joins nations and cultures together in

mutual respect, support and understanding

– a great reason to celebrate the

International Day of Friendship

on July 30


as their bags held more than all the contents of the family huts they stayed in. We encountered other challenges too – snakes, spiders and scorpions, and a hyena weeing on our tent, not to mention baboons and monkeys. But guiding members can get through most things!’

Since then there have been a further seven visits, the most recent in 2011, when members raised money to buy books in Nairobi and set up a library in Kimalel. The County has also funded five groups from Kenya to come and experience guiding in the UK. The very first visit in 1998 involved several Leaders and two girls. ‘They tried everything,’ says Chris. ‘Canoeing, climbing and abseiling, and they even sang a Kenyan song in church. They were keen to have as wide an experience as possible.’ One of those girls went on to become a bank manager and the other now manages a hotel.

But it’s not just the people of Kimalel who have gained from the partnership. Kent East members have learned a lot too, as feedback from girls over the years shows.

‘Kimalel was humbling,’ wrote Sophie, who was 13 when she visited in 2001. ‘I felt touched by everyone I met. It has definitely changed my views on what is most important. When you see children without shoes, a new pair of trainers is of no importance.’

Rohays, 16, one of the girls on the most recent visit, says: ‘Looking out of the window on our journey made you really appreciate our living conditions compared to theirs. So many people live in mud huts on barren land.’

However, ‘Kimalel is Kent East’s second home,’ says Chris. ‘We’ve always been warmly welcomed and made to feel at home. We can really relax there and be ourselves.’

Inspiration

Opposite: the bungalow in Kimalel. Top: Kent East Guides learn Kenyan skills. Above: sorting books for the Kimalel library

>>







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Doing your bitEven if you don’t have your own project linking with friends across the globe, you can help by donating to others’. Here are a couple of ideas.

Guides against Ebola+ The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts’ (WAGGGS)

Ebola campaign aims to help guiding in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea raise awareness and fight the spread of the deadly disease. You’ll find a link to donate at www.wagggs.org/en/news/23335.

The Guide Friendship Fund+ The Guide Friendship Fund (GFF) helps units and Guide Associations

affected by natural disasters through funding projects that improve the lives of girls and young women, and benefit their communities. It also helps units in areas of social deprivation.

To add to the fund, search www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘donate’. And don’t forget that when you buy your Guide Friendship Fund woven badge (pictured above, 60p, code 7047) or metal badge (£1, code 7049) a third of the money goes to the Guide Friendship Fund. See page 3 for ways to order.

Inspiration

Rising to the bra challenge

Uplifting missionBut projects don’t have to be complicated and span decades. A recent challenge undertaken by the 2nd Burley-in-Wharfedale Guides from West Yorkshire showed how simple things we take for granted in the UK can make a big difference in other countries.

Last summer, Assistant Leader Naomi Burns spent time volunteering for a small charity in Uganda. On her return, she gave a talk to the Guides about her experience and they immediately wanted to take on their own project. The Bra Challenge fitted the bill.

Bras are complex to manufacture, so very few developing countries have the facilities to make their own. This means that second-hand bras are among the most desirable items in used-clothing markets. UK charity Against Breast Cancer works with recycling organisation BCR Global Textiles to provide unwanted bras to traders in West Africa to sell to help support their families. BCR donates £1,000 to Against Breast Cancer for every tonne of bras collected – that’s around 9,000 bras.

Last autumn, the Guides set about collecting as many old bras as they could. ‘We asked them to search all the places where forgotten bras might be hiding such as the backs of drawers, bottoms of wardrobes and corners of bedrooms,’ explains Naomi. ‘The Guides worked hard to spread the news, with many of them bringing in bras after asking on Facebook or other social media sites. We expected to collect around 50 bras altogether, but 80 were donated in the first week alone and over 120 bras in the second week. By the end we had an amazing total of 239!’

Ellie, 13, says: ‘It made me think how something we take for granted can be such a big need in another country. We made a big bra shape out of all the bras to symbolise what a difference we made!’








Inspiration

‘We cooked s’mores over candles on the towpath – it looked so pretty in the pitch-black night,’ says Leader Marie Sweeney, recalling just one magical moment experienced by guiding members on a watery adventure.

Marie had little difficulty in choosing a water-based trip for her unit as their County has its own narrowboat. The 5th Sowerby Bridge Guides, Yorkshire, sailed the Spirit of Guiding along the Rochdale canal, from Sowerby Bridge to Hebden

Bridge and back, over a weekend. While travelling, the girls completed their Water safety badges, made crafts and helped operate locks.

‘I learned how to open the locks, how deep a lock is (much deeper than I thought!) and never to swim in the canal,’ says Emily, 10. ‘And I loved staying up late talking in our cosy beds!’

Charlotte, 15, adds, ‘It was like a sleepover but on a boat! I loved making the s’mores – a biscuit-and-marshmallow sandwich usually

Sea, rivers, canals, lakes…

Water brings a whole range

of possibilities for adventure

with your girls

cooked on a campfire. Locks are very hard to do until you get used to how they work. But I eventually learned to like them!’

Marie feels that water activities really encourage teamwork. ‘I felt so proud of how hard the girls worked together,’ she says. ‘They were constantly on and off the boat doing the locks! And their friendships blossomed. Spending a weekend together in such a small space was so different to the usual hour and a half on Guides night.’

Take to the water


Riding highFor many members, trying out sea sports such as surfing is limited to the summer months and means a long, expensive journey. However, Durham North County found a solution at a local leisure centre, in the form of a FlowRider, a static machine that allows surfing or bodyboarding on fast-flowing water (above). The County is planning an event in July at which up to 100 members of The Senior Section will use the FlowRider as part of a series of challenges.

Durham North County Commissioner Patricia Jakeway says, ‘This is the only FlowRider in the north of England and it’s an excellent way of giving the girls an opportunity to catch and ride a wave in an inexpensive way.

They are very excited.’Rather than riding the waves, a

member elsewhere in the UK chose to ride the rivers. Fiona Caslake, Leader and member of Goffs Oak Senior Section, Hertfordshire, took a three-day canoeing trip along the Thames for her Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. ‘A group of us from the unit were completing our awards and we wanted to do something different,’ explains Fiona. ‘So we covered a challenging but fun 80km from Lechlade to Shillingford, paddling, stopping for lunch, making sure we arrived at checkpoints on time to meet our assessor and then camping at night.

‘We finished with a lovely summer’s day on the water. We had a lot of training for the trip and were really proud of getting up to a high standard in canoeing, finishing the expedition as a team and not capsizing once!’

Inspiration

Opposite: Aboard the Spirit of Guiding. This page: Goffs Oak Senior Section paddling their own canoe

>>





aged 15-17?don’t miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity.find out more and sign up online now.

@NCSNCS NCSYES @NCSYES NCSYES.CO.UK

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All at seaFelicity Callanan, meanwhile, took part in a very different set of water challenges: sea-kayaking, snorkelling and windsurfing off the coast of Croatia. The Leader with 272nd Birmingham (St John’s) Guides helped lead a Girlguiding Midlands InterRailing trip around Europe. The activities took place on the final day.

She says, ‘We kayaked down the coast to a cave, where we went snorkelling before kayaking back. Then we split into two groups to try

Summer fun made easyA wide range of water activities are available at the Girlguiding Activity Centres, including canoeing, kayaking, raft building and swimming. For more information, see the Adventure Made Easy catalogue – you’ll find the online version at www.girlguiding.org.uk/activitycentres.

+ Want to lead a canoeing adventure? Leaders must take the British Canoe Union (BCU) Certificate in Coaching Paddlesport, Levels 1 and 2, for assisting or leading canoeing activities. Visit the Canoe England website at www.canoe-england.org.uk for details.

+ The Girlguiding Rowing Scheme and Power-Cruising Scheme (search www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘rowing’) are for volunteers who wish to take girls out on boats. The schemes are currently being updated. Members can start the existing qualifications now and transfer to the new ones when they become available next year.

+ The new Water Safety Training Module can be run locally to give Leaders the confidence to lead activities in and around water. Ask your Commissioner for details on local training opportunities. Trainers can find the module on the Trainers’ pages of the website.

+ Girls can learn about water safety in a fun way with the Water safety and Swimmer badges for Brownies, and the Water safety badge for Guides. For more information, visit the Brownie or Guide websites at www.girlguiding.org.uk.

Tools for the job

windsurfing, first by practising on land (and looking like idiots!), then by standing on the board in the shallows and finally by windsurfing in the sea.’

Alice Green found her sea legs on the trip. The 18-year-old Leader with 2nd Barton Rainbows, Staffordshire, says, ‘I’d never done windsurfing before so it was really enjoyable to learn a new skill. You have to balance on the board, pull the sail up and then hold it out to catch the wind, allowing it to pull you along. My highlight was definitely staying up on that board!’

Inspiration

She continues, ‘I had to push myself to try the snorkelling as I was pretty nervous to snorkel in caves. I’m so glad I did it, though. Seeing all the marine life was incredible!’

Felicity believes that activities on the water really help young people to develop confidence. ‘It was the first time most girls had done sea-based activities,’ she says. ‘It was fantastic to see them helping each other out and getting over their fears. I’d definitely recommend getting out on the open water!’

With a splash

Swimmer





Tools for the job


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tour around the keep!’ If a German castle isn’t for you,

how about camping next to a lake in the grounds of an imposing 18th-century château? Le Château du Breuil in the Burgundy region of France is set in 20 acres of grounds and has its very own lake, so you don’t need to go far to try out watersports such as canoeing, kayaking and windsurfing. You can also hike in the surrounding forested hills and explore some of the fascinating caves in the area. Find out more at leguide.sgdf.fr/-Le-Breuil.

Castle Saunderson International Scout Centre (www.castlesaunderson.com) in County Cavan, Ireland, is a mix of history and modern-day comforts. The new accommodation building, in the grounds of a 19th-century castle, opened only in 2012 so is bang up to date. The centre also has space for 1,000 campers. Activities include hill walking and horse riding, and there’s even a huge wet-weather shelter containing a climbing wall.Taking girls abroad for a residential event? You’ll need to be working towards

or have completed the Travelling Abroad Module of the Going Away With Scheme. Speak to your Commissioner to find out more.

And don’t forget that you could also be eligible for a Travelling Abroad grant of up to £200. For details search for ‘Internal grants’ on www.girlguiding.org.uk.

Destination EuropeGuide and Scout centres across

Europe offer a huge range of

options for overseas residentials.

So spread your wings and

transport your unit somewhere

special – like a castle!

Abseiling is always a thrilling experience, but even more so when you’re abseiling down the tower of a medieval castle. That’s just what a group of members of The Senior Section from across the UK did when they visited Burg Rieneck (www.burg-rieneck.de), a castle in the heart of Germany that dates from 1150 and now serves as a Guide and Scout activity centre. ‘We stayed over New Year, and the tower was a fantastic place to see the fireworks at midnight!’ says Leader Deb Sutton.

The castle is surrounded by meadows and forests. You can go canoeing on local rivers, follow a GPS trail round the historic town of Rieneck and try out medieval-themed crafts.

The centre has 42 rooms, each sleeping between two and eight people, as well as a campsite. ‘It’s very easy to fly into Frankfurt and then get the train to Rieneck,’ adds Deb. ‘It’s a fantastic and unique experience!’

Pauline Hall, County Commissioner for Girlguiding Buckinghamshire, has also visited the centre with a group of girls. ‘We loved staying in a real castle, and the town is very picturesque,’ she enthuses. ‘The castle team is very helpful – in the evening they organised a spooky

From top: Burg Rieneck, Castle Saunderson and Le Château du Breuil

Tools for the job

Continental driftTempted to head across the Channel and beyond to see what other Guide and Scout organisations offer? Here are just a few more of over 275 centres across Europe.+ Get creative with ancient Danish crafts at

Houens Odde Spejdercenter (www.houensodde.dk), the biggest Scout centre in Northern Europe. On the banks of Kolding Fjord in southern Denmark, it’s perfect for swimming and kayaking, as well as exploring the surrounding beech forests.

+ Opicina, near Trieste in Italy, is nestled between the sea and mountains close to the Slovenian border, and offers 100 caves to explore.

+ Learn about the ocean at the Sea Scout Centre Veruda near the city of Pula in western Croatia. Located in a pine forest on an island, it specialises in marine ecology, although there’s a variety of other activities on offer, such as sports, climbing and survival techniques.

+ Get close to the Greek gods at Eleftheria Scout Centre on the slopes of Mount Olympus. You can visit traditional villages and discover the local culture and history.

Visit www.scout.org/europe > Scout Centres to find more about these and other centres.Remember that – even with Guide or Scout centres – you need to check instructor qualifications for activities you’re planning. Instructor qualifications outside the UK are different, but local instructors should hold the equivalent to those that Girlguiding requires in the UK. See The Guiding Manual for information or email [email protected] with any queries.

Our ChaletDon’t forget about the great WAGGGS option in Switzerland. A visit there created lifelong memories for one BGIFC unit, 1st Hohne Guides from Germany (below).

‘The word of the trip was “wow!”,’ says Leader Vicky Trout. ‘The girls were truly amazed by the mountain scenery. They loved the cows with bells around their necks and took countless photos!’

They also went on an adventurous day trip to the village of Grindelwald, where they took a cable car, rode scooters and tried out a zip wire. Comments from the girls included ‘This is the best day of my life’, and ‘Can we stay here forever?’, so all the planning was

worthwhile, Vicky says. ‘Our final day out was to Niesen to go up the

Niesenbahn funicular railway. I made my Promise at the top as a Young Leader so it seemed the perfect place for two of our Guides to make their Promise too.’

Four young Girlguiding members – Danielle McIver, Rachael Graham, Chloe Badge and Victoria Rice (above, from left) – volunteered at Our Chalet over the winter months. ‘Every day is different in winter,’ says Rachael. ‘All the activities are based around the snow, and the challenging environment of the Swiss Alps – there’s snow-shoeing, campfires and barbecues in the snow, and igloo building. It was also a great experience to be working in an international staff team where everyone is so passionate about guiding.’ If you’re tempted by a Swiss volunteering adventure, all you need to do is email [email protected] or check out www.ourchalet.ch for more information.






Tools for the job


Be part of the planBack in March we launched ‘Being our best’, our

five-year plan to make guiding the best that it can

be, with many of you watching our inspirational

video and taking part in our interactive quiz. Here’s

how you responded to the plan – and what you’ll be

doing for girls to make guiding even better…

‘Delighted to read all about our plan to keep guiding fun and relevant for girls and young women.’ Carole Graham, Chief Commissioner for Girlguiding Ulster and Guide and Brownie Leader

‘To improve, we all need feedback and I’m no exception. So at my Rainbow unit we’ve asked our girls and their parents to complete a short survey to tell us how we are doing and how we can improve.’ Chief Guide Gill Slocombe

‘I was a Brownie from age seven, then a Guide and I’m now a Leader. As a disabled person I’ve had lots of opportunities, and my pledge is to make sure that every girl has the same.

Our new hall, with disabled toilet and flat access, will make being inclusive easier.

But I also want to support children who have “hidden” disabilities.’ Jenny Holt, Leader with 4th East Barnet Brownies

‘The “Being our best” quiz is super accurate! I got Capacity, which is definitely the bit I’m most passionate about!’ Maya Dibley, Girlguiding trustee and Guide Leader

‘Just got a co-worker to sign up her one-year-old for Rainbows – “Being our best” and Growing Guiding!’ Cath Bashford, Leader with 1st Hartford Brownies

‘Love “Being our best”, the plan for 2020. Have you taken the quiz? I got Voice!’ Emma Gees,

Girlguiding Advocate and Leader with The Senior Section

‘This year in The Senior Section, I’m going to complete my Young Leader Qualification and then hopefully go on to my Leadership Qualification.’ Kashnia Kirby, Young Leader, 1st Cwmamman Guides

‘At Brownies this year we’re going on a stargazing trip. I’m looking forward to that!’ Cheyenne, 16th Enfield

Brownies

‘I’m from Nigeria but working at Waddow. This year I want to

empower girls – both in my country, through a mass literacy programme, and

across the guiding world, through the Free Being Me body confidence programme.’ Riche Tonye-Brown, international intern, Waddow Hall

‘We will be “Being our best” at the Alcohol Concern Youth Summit supporting the Reading Community Alcohol Partnership and helping Guides make informed choices.’ Kim Jakubiszyn, Leader with 5th Tilehurst Guides

‘We’ve already had a big Fun Day this year to attract people from outside as well as inside Girlguiding – a great way to showcase everything we do.’ Giovanni Re, Waddow Hall

Tools for the job


‘So awesome to be part of an organisation with the values Empowering, Inclusive, Inspiring, Caring, Challenging, Fun.’ Rosalyn Old, Guide Leader and Girlguiding trustee

Be your best!Have you seen the brilliant video all about our great new plan? And have you tried the special interactive quiz that will help you find out your strengths? No? Well, head over to new.girlguiding.org.uk/being-our-best right now and join the buzz. Then try these ideas to help you start putting the plan into action.

Excellence+ Take a look at Good Guiding Is…. This handy checklist

is full of great practical ideas to help you bring the best of guiding to girls. Search www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘Unit Leader resources’.

+ Girls always tell us that they love overseas trips and experiences. So take the plunge! Try a Guiding or Scouting centre in Europe (see page 24), take a trip to an overseas centre with our partner PGL (see page 48) or go global in the UK with an international camp right here (see page 7).

Access+ Share an image of yourself on social media

wearing a Girls Can T-shirt, along with a comment on what guiding has helped you or your girls achieve, and inspire people to join us. (Find the Girls Can range at www.girlguidingshop.co.uk.)

+ Plan some pop-up guiding in an empty shop on a busy Saturday (ask your local council) so you can give girls a taste of fun activities and tell adults (all those potential Leaders, Occasional Unit Helpers and those who can help with driving, accounts and other admin work) about the huge range of volunteer roles available. Want more inspiration? Read about how one member took the pop-up concept even further by using an old mobile library to take guiding on tour (see page 32).

Voice+ Try Girls Matter: Hear Our Voice (£5.50,

code 6051) to inspire girls to get involved in democracy and shaping their world. See page 3 for ways to order.

+ Make sure girls are at the centre of all they do – download the free Participation on a Plate resource by searching www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘Unit Leader resources’ and find activities that get girls in the lead.

Capacity+ Head to the Girlguiding website to take the Safeguarding online

learning module, so you can polish up your skills on one very important process.

+ Make sure you give your feedback on everything we do whenever you can – for example, by commenting on our new website (see page 39) or by sharing your views on our membership communications (see page 36 for all the ways you can have your say).

Tell us how you’re planning to be your best! Visit new.girlguiding.org.uk/being-our-best or tweet us @Girlguiding using #BeingOurBest. And to find out more about how some members are embracing the theme of Excellence, see page 28.

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‘After consulting with members of The Senior Section, we’re working on plans for that section’s

centenary next year – and young members are

a key part of the planning team. It’s really exciting!’ Caroline Conry, Region Manager,

Girlguiding North West England

‘We have a great partnership with the RSPB, and just one fun thing for girls this year is an RSPB-run day at Lorne

for Rainbows looking at making homes for hedgehogs.’

Claire Flowers, Executive Manager, Girlguiding Ulster

‘On my GOLD trip to Peru this year, I plan to support Unit Leaders by talking about leadership skills, and in this way help them make a difference to the young people in their country.’ Fiona Llewellyn-Beard, GOLD (Guiding Overseas Linked with Development) Peru 2015 team member

‘To encourage people to join Girlguiding, I’ll just tell them the truth – like that we go to Wild Camp, where I even got to shoot a bow and arrow like in The Hunger Games! I actually hit the bull’s-eye!’ Nicki, 1st Cwmamman Guides









How to


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Making it exciting‘The Excellence strand of the plan is, well, excellent!’ smiles Jennifer Walker, Leader with 198B Edinburgh Guides and Fairmilehead Senior Section. She’s talking, of course, about our commitment to get better and better at all that we do for girls by providing even more top-quality resources, training and support to volunteers, and giving girls themselves even more opportunities for fun, adventure, travel and social action.

‘I’m 25 and it’s important to me as a

fantastic time and I even gained my Travelling Abroad module!’

To support the plan and help girls’ guiding get better and better, a sleepover in yurts at Blair Drummond Safari Park is on the cards this summer. ‘We’ll help out the keepers, and the lions will wake us with their roars in the morning!’ enthuses Jennifer, who’s determined to continue to offer girls even more. ‘I also plan to keep an eye on national activities and opportunities, and to encourage girls to try new things outside their comfort zone.’

‘Being our best’ – Girlguiding’s plan for

the next five years – was launched in

March. Here volunteers tell us how they

are putting the Excellence theme into

practice – and we’ll be delving into

the other three themes over our next

three issues

younger Leader that, as well as learning from more experienced volunteers, I can develop within Girlguiding to make sure I keep the activities exciting and dynamic.’

Jennifer has already given girls some amazing experiences – and boosted her qualifications in the process. ‘I led a group of 18 girls to Paris for a long weekend,’ she says. ‘For many it was their first time away with guiding and with peers. I felt so proud of them making new friends, navigating around an unknown city and learning about Parisian culture. We had a



How to


In fact, Jennifer sees all levels of guiding working together as key to top-quality guiding. ‘Support and training for Leaders is crucial,’ she says. ‘All Leaders, no matter what time or resources they have, should be able to offer girls something new and exciting. It’s important to keep this in mind at national, Region and County levels. For example, support to enable girls to go on international trips would really help Leaders.’

Keeping girls at the centre of decision-making will also make a difference to the quality of what guiding offers. ‘The Task and Finish Groups that are open to all ages are a great idea,’ says Jennifer.

Making it modernLiv Taylor, 24, is a Leader with 9th Bolton Guides, a member of 9th Bolton Senior Section and a Girlguiding Advocate. And she’s excited about ‘Being our best’. ‘As a member of The Senior Section and a Leader I’m not only excited about the opportunities it will open up for my girls but also the opportunities it will open up for me! Bring it on!’ she says.

Liv believes that by making sure guiding continues to evolve and focuses on the skills girls need in the 21st century, the plan will really reap rewards for girls. ‘In this day and age, girls will benefit so much from learning public

speaking, budgeting and jobs skills.’And with Excellence as one of the

plan’s key themes, she knows opportunities for girls are set to soar. ‘When someone asks me what happens at Guides, the first thing I do is reel off all the activities we do and the programmes that we follow. So to be making things even better is fantastic!’

Liv herself has benefited hugely from the fun, adventure, travel and social action that the Excellence theme of the plan aims to increase. ‘Being an Advocate – having the privilege to speak on behalf of our members and Girlguiding – is a massive honour. And participating in all the events around the General Election was amazing.

‘Through guiding, I’ve also been on two international trips (my first when I was only 15) and had opportunities to try new things. Without Girlguiding I wouldn’t be the same person that I am today. It’s always been the one place I could be my barmy, quirky self!’

And, inspired by ‘Being our best’, Liv hopes to bring all this and more to her girls. >>

Opposite: Jennifer Walker (back row, left).Above: Liv Taylor (back row, left). Left: 1st Cumwhinton Brownies (see overleaf)





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25th Sept – 29th Dec

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For group bookings please call 0844 847 2346

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25th Sept – 29th Dec

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030_GUIDING_SUM15.indd 30 14/05/2015 09:21

How to


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Inspiration from abroadWe’re not the only ones concerned that everything we do is the best that it can be. Four years ago Scouting Nederland set up a Group Development Programme to make sure girls and boys across the country get a consistently excellent experience.

‘With the support of two coaches (a volunteer and a professional), individual groups assess a number of areas including programme, adult resources and group management,’ explains project manager Marijke Hodes. ‘The results are turned into an action plan for the future, with an aftercare programme offering ongoing support.’

And it’s certainly been successful. Having been used in more than 600 individual groups so far, the project has upped Scouting Nederland’s game – leading to a rise in membership and finally reversing the downward trend apparent since the mid-1990s.

‘The power of the programme is that it starts with the culture of the group itself,’ Marijke continues. ‘From there members make their own plans, feeling empowered by the support that they receive from the national and regional organisation.’

Making it fun‘To me, Excellence means that every week the girls come to meetings, are happy, and leave laughing and smiling. And it means that girls enjoy the activities and have a huge input into all that we do.’ So says Sallie Broomby, Leader with 1st Cumwhinton Brownies and Rainbows (pictured right).

The girls certainly love guiding. When asked what’s best about Brownies, Aimee, 8, Scarlett, 7, and Ruby, 9, are hugely enthusiastic. ‘We like Brownies because it’s fun! We get to go on sleepovers and trips – and we have parties too.’

And Lucie, 9, loves the fact that the girls themselves choose their own activities. ‘We get into groups so we can decide on the things we want to do as a unit,’ she explains.

Sallie and her team are making sure the unit will be putting the ‘Being our best’ plan into practice over the coming year, with girls heading off on a range of trips. Fun and adventure are fundamental to the plan – and the upcoming Brownie weekend will bring just that to girls.

‘We’re organising an adventure weekend – the Brownies really enjoy the outdoors!’ Sallie says. ‘And Rainbows have a 24-hour sleepover that they’re looking forward to.’

Plus swimming’s on the agenda. ‘We’re going to the local baths for the Brownies to gain their Swimmer advanced badge,’ explains Sallie. And girls will be learning about the environment on a visit to the local recycling centre. ‘They’ll make things from recycled items and work towards their Designer badge.’

As well as the activities, girls appreciate the inclusivity of guiding. As Emma, 8, says, ‘I like Brownies because everyone is welcome.’

‘No one ever gets left out,’ Elina, 10, confirms. And Tahlia, 8, adds: ‘At Brownies they give us challenges and everyone is treated the same.’

Find out more about ‘Being our best’ and share your views at new.girlguiding.org.uk/being-our-best. And read all about how members are tackling the theme of ‘Access’ in the next issue of guiding.






Inspiration

In Lancashire North West, guiding has been popping up all over the place! Two years ago, the County heard that the local library service was selling off some of its mobile library vans. There was a bit of money in the coffers and it was an opportunity too good to miss.

By World Thinking Day 2014, a van had been bought and equipped with removable tables and benches, sockets for laptops, a kitchen area, and speakers to play music and broadcast announcements. The

outside was covered with some eye-catching Girlguiding branding, and it was ready to go. The aim was to attract more girls and adult volunteers by taking part in local carnivals and processions, and parking up at other events to offer taster activities and information about guiding. Then, as girls tried out activities, Leaders could chat to parents to encourage them to get involved too.

Bringing guiding to girls The van certainly caught the eye of eight-year-old Jasmine at Chorley Carnival last year. ‘It looked really fun and the ladies were really nice,’ she says. ‘I was excited as I wanted to go on the trips and be a Brownie!’ Her mum, Gillian, adds, ‘The displays were excellent and the girls made it sound so much fun. They took the time to talk to Jasmine and she really liked

You’ve heard of pop-up

shops, but what about

pop-up guiding?

that. She was desperate to join and kept asking when she could start! Now, she’s loving being a member of Red Bank Brownies.’

The County is now running a new project that takes the van into areas where there is currently no guiding to offer sessions in the school holidays. It went down well last summer and there are plans to extend the project to other school holidays this year.

Over the van’s first year, girl numbers in Lancashire North West have risen, and an amazing 80 new adult Leaders have joined. ‘The van has played a significant part in that,’ says County Commissioner Elaine Clare. ‘It’s been really well received everywhere we go. People do wonder what it is at first, but the branding tells them it’s going to be a fun place to be. Plus, we’re pretty friendly – and the refreshments on offer always help!’

Guiding on the move!


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Do try this at homeFor Elaine, Growing Guiding is about setting specific goals. ‘Think about what you want to achieve at the end of each day. Exactly how many girls and Leaders are you short of? That motivates people, and every time we’ve taken the van to an event we’ve gone

The Growing Guiding ChallengeThe Growing Guiding Challenge, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, is a great activity pack that contains lots of information and resources to help girls bring more members into guiding – meaning more opportunities for everyone.

The 1st Medbourne Brownies and 1st Shenley Brownies gave it a try. Following Pow-wows, the former looked at adult volunteer recruitment, thinking about the key skills needed by Leaders, while the latter focused on ways to attract girls who’d not been involved in guiding before.

‘One of the Medbourne Brownies had just finished her Computer interest badge, and suggested that we set up a unit Facebook page, run by the Leaders, to communicate with parents and other adults,’ explains Leader with both units, Jemma Drought. ‘Within the first few days of our page going live, we had lots of positive testimonials about Brownies, and the girls loved seeing how their ideas had come to life. As a result, we now have two brand-new volunteers, both in the early stages of completing their Leadership Qualifications!’

The 1st Shenley Brownies held a ‘bring a friend’ night. ‘We encouraged the parents to stay and get involved too,’ says Jemma. ‘Afterwards, the Brownies made thank-you cards to send to the girls who attended, containing Join Us information for parents. Everyone was making the right noises on the night, so now we’re waiting to see if this translates into new applications – and we’re very confident!’

past our target. If we know we’re looking for three

Rainbow Leaders, we’ll make sure we get them. This works much better than just having a general blanket recruitment drive. You need to say, “We want someone on Tuesdays at 5pm at St Matthew’s” rather than just, “Come and join us”, which is too open-ended.’ Turn the page to find out about a special project that’s been growing guiding in Scotland.

Inspiration

‘This is an exciting and creative way of taking guiding into the heart of communities where girls wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to join in the fun!’ DEPUTY CHIEF GUIDE ANGELA MILLN

Who’s who?We’re currently working on revising our great Growing Guiding toolkits, so keep a look out for them later on this year. You will find these, as well as details of the Growing Guiding Challenge (right), plus lots more advice and resources at www.girlguiding.org.uk/growingguiding.

Tools for the job






Inspiration

It was back in early 2012 that two Girlguiding members had a moment of inspiration that was to result in a real difference being made to the lives of some very vulnerable children.

Low Moss Prison, north of Glasgow, was due to open in spring that year, and Maxine Gow and Sally Hadden had volunteered to help at the visitor centre café. At a volunteers’ training session they became aware of the issues faced by children and young people visiting a family member in prison. ‘I thought that we could use our guiding experience to offer more direct support to children

visiting Low Moss, rather than volunteering in the café,’ explains Maxine. ‘So Sally and I approached the prison management, and offered to develop and run a Guiding and Scouting programme in the visitor centre during visiting times.’

The response from the prison was positive, so Maxine and Sally met with local Scouting and the planning began. Maxine, now Dunbartonshire County Commissioner, explains. ‘Our aim was to run structured and rewarding activities to encourage children to visit frequently and maintain their relationship with the

Our pledge is that guiding is for all.

And at Low Moss Prison in Scotland,

Guiding and Scouting members have

been running sessions for the

children of prisoners

family member in prison (this can reduce reoffending rates). It would also introduce girls and boys to Guiding and Scouting, perhaps leading them to join a local unit. Plus it would give parents a chance to talk during visiting times, making for a positive experience all round.’

Getting startedThe idea of going into a prison to run a meeting may sound daunting, but Guiding and Scouting Leaders signed up. ‘We recruited as many as possible from within both our organisations, so Leaders needed to volunteer only monthly on a rota basis,’ explains

Everybody’s welcome


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Sally, now Kelvin Division Commissioner.

The next step was planning the programme. ‘We didn’t know how many young people would come, or their ages, or what level of participation to expect,’ says Maxine, ‘so we based initial planning on experience from joint Guiding and Scouting meetings for children in hospital, and also advice from the prison authorities.’

Keeping it flexibleSince the beginning, flexibility has been crucial. ‘We’ve tried different formats, and adapted and improved continuously,’ says Sally. ‘Every week is different. Sometimes we might have just three or four children, sometimes as many as 12 or 13. And, although most are aged between 5 and 10, we need to be prepared for a mix of ages. You can plan the meeting but the ages of the kids who turn up might mean that it’s not relevant.

‘At the weekly session, children put on their “uniform” neckerchiefs and take part in an opening game,’ continues Sally (pictured opposite, far right, with fellow Leaders). ‘We then chat about the session’s theme and do activities, many adapted from Guiding and Scouting programmes. Recent themes have included Commonwealth games and sports, and community. At the end of each session, children record their achievements on an individual challenge chart, earning a coloured wristband instead of a badge when they complete a set number.’

The activities go down well. ‘I like the part where we make stuff and we get to choose what we want to do,’ says one Brownie-age girl. ‘And I liked it when we had the Japanese food!’

The project has gone from strength to strength, with a paid development officer bringing more training and support to Leaders. ‘And

the Scottish Prison Service has been

great – they can’t do enough for us,’ enthuses Maxine. ‘They have provided storage space and equipment, and helped with promotion.’

The unit – which runs throughout the year – is publicised by leaflets given to families, by prison-family contact officers, and by posters around the prison. In their special tops, the Leaders are easily spotted – another way to promote what they do.

Although different children may come in different weeks, Leaders do see many children regularly. ‘With some children, attention span can be a problem. But it’s improved so much in many of them,’ says Maxine. ‘And we know that a few have joined local Guiding or Scouting groups after taking part in sessions at the prison.’

Parents have been hugely positive about the benefits to their children. One prisoner says, ‘It’s a very good idea. They spend time teaching the kids all different things and the kids enjoy playing the games.’ And a visiting mum says, ‘My two sons love visiting their father on a Thursday, – they really enjoy the activities.’

A bright futureOther prisons, having heard about the success of the programme, are keen to try it. In fact, the prison authorities

Inspiration

nominated the project for a Rab Butler Trust Award, which recognises those working in prisons and similar settings. Plus the benefits have had a ripple effect, bringing positive outcomes to many. ‘It’s brought together volunteers from Guiding and Scouting, broadening their leadership skills,’ says Sally. ‘We’ve also spread the word about our organisations to children and families who might not otherwise have engaged with us. And we’ve improved Leaders’ understanding of the impact of custodial sentences, and challenged some perceptions of prison. Everyone has gained from the experience.

‘The project shows how important it is to think creatively and explore opportunities to offer guiding to girls in communities and areas that we might normally dismiss as being off limits – such as an adult prison!’ Sally continues. ‘But the response from children, families and prison authorities has clearly shown us that the project is viable and successful.’

Best of all, the kids love it. ‘The children rush up to us at the start of our sessions, asking what we are doing this week,’ says Sally. What better praise could there be?For advice on supporting girls with a family member in prison, search www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘social inclusion’.

We want to bring more guiding to more girls, and projects like this are helping us to do just that’ DEPUTY CHIEF GUIDE ANGELA MILLN






Inspiration

Assistant Brownie Leader Tegan Jones (above right) is bringing energy and passion to her new role as Lead Volunteer for Membership Communications. ‘This review is extremely important,’ says Tegan, who has a huge amount of experience in communications from her time at a charity that supports development projects in Madagascar. ‘Girlguiding needs to know what members want from our communications, and to find out which communication channels members like to use. But it’s equally important for Girlguiding to get better at listening to members – as members are at the heart of everything.’

So what is ‘membership communications’?Membership communications covers all the ways Girlguiding and Girlguiding members communicate – from obvious things such as this magazine, the website (which is undergoing its own

member-inspired upgrade, see page 39), social media channels and various e-newsletters, to other emails, packs and even membership cards that volunteers receive. ‘Simply, membership comms is how Girlguiding and its half a million amazing members speak together!’ says Membership Communications Manager Natassja Yoxall, who is coordinating the review. ‘But it’s not just a one-way street. It’s a conversation that includes all the ways Girlguiding hears from volunteers – think surveys, membership panels, comment functions on the website and, of course, social media.

‘We have a host of channels already sparking great conversations with members – but we know we can get even better,’ continues Natassja. ‘In fact, strengthening communications was something members asked for in the consultation that took place for “Being our best”, our new five-year plan.’

Over the year of the review, Tegan

The way Girlguiding speaks with and listens

to members really matters. So that’s why

members are taking the lead in a review of

all communications that will make sure

everyone is part of the conversation

– who has been a member of Girlguiding ever since she was a Rainbow – will be chairing a new Task and Finish Group made up of 11 volunteers, including three young members. The group will decide the priorities for the review and help analyse the findings, pointing out along the way where simple ‘quick win’ changes can be made for instant improvement.

Members first‘It’s a review for members, led by members,’ says Tegan. ‘That’s vital. I’m an Assistant Leader who’s been through all stages of guiding, and the Task and Finish Group is made up of volunteers with a wide range of roles. We’ll be finding out members’ views on current communications and what they want to see in the future. This will help develop a new plan for membership communications.’

Let’s talk

Inspiration


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After the review, Tegan will continue to work in partnership with staff for two more years. ‘I’ll be involved in moving the plan forward and seeing it come to fruition,’ she explains.

Have your sayBut Tegan and her team can’t do anything without your input. ‘It is important for us to obtain as much feedback as possible from as many different avenues as possible,’ says Tegan. ‘We want to ensure that members of all ages are being reached and receiving relevant and interesting information.’

So do share your views. ‘We’ll be looking at all of our current communications with volunteers and with members of The Senior Section,’ says Natassja, ‘and we aim to gather as many statistics as possible about how members engage with communications.’+ You’ll find information about

surveys, face-to-face workshops and other ways members can get involved in the review at www.girlguiding.org.uk/membercommsreview.

+ Girlguiding’s Readership Panel will be a key group for sharing ideas on membership communications – find out more or apply to join by contacting [email protected].

+ And you can also contribute comments, questions or feedback at [email protected] or on Twitter using #membercomms and including @Girlguiding.

Online made easy We love guiding magazine, of course! But digital communications offer lots of instant ways to share all the amazing things that are happening in guiding, so do check them out – and we’d love to hear your feedback.+ Facebook is the perfect place for sharing stories among your fellow

guiding friends and circles, as well as a great way to tap into units up and down the UK. Remember to always link to something so people can find out more.

+ Twitter is ideal if you want to tell the world why guiding is so great. It’s a really easy place to network and spread the word, looping in everyone from the Chief Guide to celebrities and politicians. But don’t forget to be concise – you’ve got only 140 characters!

+ Instagram is a place to display carefully selected pictures, so take your time when it comes to sharing photos and make sure they’re something special. You can use the same hashtags as on Twitter – useful for helping other people explore our events.

+ Pinterest – just like Instagram – is about sharing beautiful images, but you’ve got tons more room to share your messages: remember to include the important stuff in your caption so it’s easier for people to find when they’re browsing.

+ YouTube is about video and Girlguiding’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/girlguiding) is the place to catch up with exciting happenings such as international trips and our latest campaigns. Plus, of course, a wider audience gets to see all the great things we do!

Fancy having a go? Here are a few simple ways to make social media work for you.+ Setting up a fundraising event and keen to rally more supporters?

Twitter could be the perfect way to drum up some intrigue by using relevant hashtags and a link for people to donate.

+ Out at an event with your unit? Use Instagram’s video function to share bite-sized footage directly from the day with others online.

+ Struggling for activity ideas? Chat with other units on Facebook or sign up to a few specific Facebook groups that might be great places for future inspiration.

Inspiration

Why ‘membership comms’ mattersMembership communications:+ gets out ‘need to know’ information effectively – from legal updates

to the latest on subs + makes sure Girlguiding can really hear what members are saying+ empowers and inspires by sharing and shouting out about all the

great things happening in Girlguiding+ publicises the opportunities and support available to members+ encourages members to share in Girlguiding’s plan, ‘Being our best’,

and to take part in activities and initiatives that support it + unites members behind Girlguiding’s vision, mission and values.







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Tools for the job


A brand-new website……is coming. Tell us

what you think so

we can make it

even better

Guiding is full of fun,

adventure and opportunities. But we know the Girlguiding website could be working much harder to help volunteers bring all this to girls.

Chloe Shipman, Girlguiding’s Digital Product Manager, explains. ‘We had known for a while that our members weren’t happy with our websites. They were complicated, hard to use and not very inspiring. We knew it was time to embark on a big project to bring the website up to date, to better support our amazing volunteers to deliver guiding, and to help us recruit more members and supporters.

‘First, though, we wanted to make sure we were making the right changes for the people using our website on a day-to-day basis. It was crucial that members were involved at every stage.’

is for AllEveryone’s opinion matters. So, at the time guiding went to press:+ 680 adult volunteers had shared

their time and experience+ 405 young members had joined in

with workshops+ 800 Digital Champions had helped

us shout about the project+ 15 Team Digital members (right)

had told us what’s cool online+ 11,507 people had read our digital

blog about the project – digital.girlguiding.org.uk/blog

+ 57,930 people had visited the new website – new.girlguiding.org.uk.

is for BetterSo what’s changing? We’re:+ creating one site – a single central

hub for Girlguiding activity+ improving the search facility, so you

can find exactly what you need+ making the menu clearer+ opening up the members’ area,

which means that you won’t have to keep logging in. This will also enable us to shout out loud about the benefits guiding brings to girls and the inspiring work volunteers do – recruiting more in the process

+ making sure the website works on mobiles and tablets, so it is more in line with how we live our lives today

+ improving links with social media+ using blogs to tell our news, so that

members can share their stories and comment on what others are up to.

All this should support volunteers in their role, enable girls to shape their guiding, and promote Girlguiding to the outside world.

is for Continuing consultationThings don’t stop here! We’ve been slowly releasing more and more content on to the new site and, once all the information is there, we will switch over. It’s really important for you to share your views – both now and in the future. We’ll always be working on and improving the website, and it’s only with your help that we can make it better. So please:+ take a look at the site (new.

girlguiding.org.uk) and share your comments at new.girlguiding.org.uk/feedback

+ tell us your thoughts on social media using #digitalguiding.

Meet Team Digital‘In April 2014 we recruited a panel of digital-savvy young women to feed back on our website plans and digital communication redevelopment,’ says Chloe.

Called Team Digital, they have been helping us understand girls’ digital habits and needs, collaborating on new approaches and testing the new site. ‘They’re aged 16 to 25, live all around the UK from Glasgow to Torquay – and they’re brilliant. We couldn’t have got this far without them!’ Chloe adds.

Want to find out more about them? Take a look at digital.girlguiding.org.uk/meet-team-digital.








Inspiration

Girls in guiding have always served their communities and made a positive difference locally, nationally and internationally. It’s been a spirit enshrined in Girlguiding’s programme, Promise and Law since 1910.

So, although social action is a modern term, what it means is quite simple. It’s about helping others, making change and giving something back. In practical terms, girls in guiding take social action in these key areas. + Volunteering and community

action – from local litter picks and taking on roles such as Young Leader, to supporting projects in countries across the world.

+ Fundraising – from running marathons to organising bake

sales to support Girlguiding and causes girls care about.

+ Peer education and support – from training as Peer Educators to mentoring others.

+ Using their voice – from shaping guiding at all levels to speaking out on issues to raise awareness and making change.

Making a difference to others is an inspiring challenge for girls – and Girlguiding gives them the tools and confidence to change the world both now and throughout their lives. We know girls and young women

everywhere are deciding what really matters to them and taking action. Here are just two inspiring members who have been putting the principles of social action into practice.

An ambassador for actionHarriet Frobisher (right), Leader in Training with 1st Meliden Guides, has done so much to support her

‘Social action’ is the phrase of the

moment. But in guiding we’ve been

doing it for years – because it’s all

about our long-term ethos of helping

others, speaking up for what we

believe in and making

change happen

Kiera (far right) and her fellow fundraisers

And…action!


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community that she has been made an #iWill Youth Social Action Ambassador – one of 50 young people aged 10 to 20 from across the UK who will inspire others to get involved and make a difference.

Harriet explains: ‘I am one of several Guides selected to be #iWill Ambassadors, and I was chosen for the amount of volunteering I do as a Guide Leader and with North Wales Young Dragons, through which young people representing their own uniformed youth organisations come

Social action is a core part of the guiding programme. Check out...+ Rainbows: The Love area of the Rainbow Jigsaw.+ Brownies: The Community area of Brownie

Adventures.+ Guides: Go For Its! Be the Change, Breaking Barriers,

Streets Ahead and Take Action, as well as the Community Action interest badge.

+ The Senior Section: The Community Action Octant of Look Wider.

+ All sections: Girls Matter: Hear Our Voice (£5.50, code 6051) – see page 44 to read more and see page 3 for ways to order.

Tools for the job

together to carry out volunteering for a variety of community groups.’

Volunteering has made a huge difference to Harriet’s own life as well as the lives of others. ‘I have a physical disability and have always struggled to take part in activities – even riding a bike. Volunteering has given me the courage and confidence to make something of my life. I love helping others.’

Over four years, Harriet has taken part in 87 community-based activities, clocking up more than 406 hours’ volunteering time. ‘This has helped Young Dragons raise £41,790 for various organisations, including Great Ormond Street Hospital, I SPY Anti-bullying, and charities supporting people with motor neurone disease, diabetes and cancer.

‘Volunteering puts a smile on my face whatever I’m doing. I’ve gained so many valuable life skills that I know will help me – and the community – in the future.’

Helping beat EbolaKiera – a member of 3rd Hampton Hill Brownies – is just nine years old. But when she was struck by the plight of those affected by the Ebola crisis in Africa, she didn’t just express her concern – she decided to take action.

‘My granddad lives in South Africa, on the same continent,’ she says. ‘I was worried for him but I also

Inspiration

Turn the page for a gallery of images revealing how members have been taking social action. And see page 44 for the latest on Girls Matter.

didn’t want other people dying. So I decided to raise money to help.’

‘Kiera made a flyer and sent it to her friends to see if they would help her,’ explains Leader Sarah Beer.

‘My sister, who is only six and a Rainbow, and two of my friends wanted to help,’ says Kiera. ‘We wanted a difficult challenge, so we decided to run 5km and cycle 10 miles!’

Kiera’s parents helped her set up a fundraising page and looked into which charity they might support – the girls chose Médecins Sans Frontières.

On the day of the challenge, the weather wasn’t kind. ‘A strong wind made it tough but we pushed on,’ says Kiera. ‘It was challenging but fun too. We were tired afterwards but it was definitely worth it!’

Together, the girls raised an incredible £1,405.74. ‘All of 3rd Hampton Hill Brownies are extremely proud of Kiera’s fantastic fundraising efforts – especially as it was all her own idea,’ says Sarah. ‘The guiding ethos gives girls a sense of social responsibility, and the philosophy Leaders follow gives girls the inspiration they need to help make a difference to the world.’

Kiera herself agrees that guiding inspires her to always lend a hand. ‘Brownies makes you think about ways of helping others, which is good,’ she explains. And she’ll continue making a difference to the world.

‘I want to do more in the future because I care about other people – next time maybe I’ll do a triathlon!’We want to know what girls have been doing in their units and beyond. Email your inspiring stories to [email protected].

>>







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Inspiration


Picture this…Take a look at four fabulous images that Girlguiding members submitted to this year’s photo competition run by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, celebrating the difference our members make to the world.Below: ‘Guides collecting in half term for the Poppy Appeal’ submitted by Lisa Edwards, Leader with 10th Barry Guides and Barry Rangers.

Left: ‘3rd Keyworth Brownies ask, “Can we do this again?”’ – submitted by Leader Leanne Hughes – shows girls weeding the community allotments.

‘#GirlsCan help the world and follow their dreams!’ – submitted by Marianne Matthews, Leader with 1st Boscombe Down Guides – shows Marianne helping a wounded elephant while volunteering in Kenya.

And, as we went to press, we heard that Marianne’s photo had made the final shortlist!

Below: ‘Brownies’ community clean-up!’ submitted by Ruth Oakley and Lynn Dixon, Abbot North District Commissioners (Designate).








Inspiration

Xanthe Grey, Leader with 1st Lee South (Our Lady of Lourdes) Brownies, has been inspired by the Girls Matter campaign. ‘I signed the Girls Matter pledge back in September and went on to ask many others to sign it,’ she says. ‘I’m passionate about girls’ voices being heard and the changes the campaign asks to be made.’

One person Xanthe tweeted about the pledge was local MP Heidi Alexander. ‘She responded immediately, suggesting she visit the unit to discuss Girls Matter with the Brownies.’

The girls made posters focusing on issues they feel strongly about and – on the evening she visited – Heidi looked at them, before joining the Brownies in their Pow-wow circle on the floor. ‘The fact she sat on the floor with us made girls feel she was talking with them, not at them,’ says Xanthe. ‘Heidi spoke about being an MP, and then the Brownies asked her questions – they were so completely engaged we ran over time!’

The girls grilled Heidi on a range of issues, including whether it was fair that women weren’t able to be priests in the Roman Catholic Church. This led to a broader discussion about the fact that, as the girls put it, ‘some men don’t like women to be in charge – even at school, some boys won’t listen if you try to tell them how to do something’.

‘We talked about equal pay, with the Brownies rightly outraged at the idea that a man might get paid more for doing the same job as a woman!’

Girls Matter

explains Xanthe. ‘The girls and Heidi also discussed the under-representation of women in Parliament as well as affordable housing, social inclusion, poverty, disability, child and animal welfare, and the environment.

‘One issue the Brownies felt very strongly about was women in sport – for example, the lack of media coverage, the underfunding, and the staggering wages male football players receive in comparison to female,’ continues Xanthe. ‘A few Brownies play football for a team, but are told by boys at school they’re not allowed to play football in the playground. Heidi said they must never believe anyone who says they can’t do something because they’re a girl.’

The evening meant a lot to the girls, including Sasha, 10. ‘Having our

In the run-up to the General

Election, thousands took part in the

Girls Matter campaign – and young

members are continuing to have

their say through Girls Matter: Hear Our Voice


MP to visit was very exciting because she listened to what we said. We all got a chance to say what we thought was important about Girls Matter – like bullying and how much women get paid.’

Parents were pleased too. The mother of Olivia, 7, says, ‘Olivia was extremely excited when she got home. She says Heidi told them that boys should let you play football because girls can do anything that they want.’

Heidi Alexander may have

Inspiration

Girls Matter – the latestGirls Matter – our calls for change to politicians – was launched in September last year and ran up to the General Election on 7 May. Thousands shared their views, ensuring that young members’ voices were heard loud and clear throughout the political debate and in the media. + Over 5,200 people pledged their support for the campaign, calling

on politicians to listen to girls’ and young women’s voices.+ Over 100 politicians from across the parties listened to girls’ views.+ The #GirlsMatter hashtag was used over 24,000 times. + 20 MPs visited units to hear young members’ views, learn more

about Girlguiding and inspire members to make their voices heard.+ And so far, over 1,000 Girls Matter: Hear Our Voice resources have

been sold, so thousands of girls across the UK can learn about democracy and how they can make their voices heard on issues they care about – and this figure is rising every day.

The cross-party backing Girls Matter received was amazing – all down to young members having the courage to speak out. With Ed Miliband pledging his support, Nick Clegg talking to our Advocates at a party conference, and David Cameron making announcements in line with girls’ calls for change, it’s clear that girls’ voices really are being heard. So look out for a great Girls Matter round-up in a future issue.

What’s next?We’ll be working with the government to keep girls’ views centre stage when decisions are made on issues affecting their lives. And we’ll continue to support girls’ specific calls for change, as well as working with girls and politicians to tackle the big challenges girls and young women face. Haven’t tried Girls Matter: Hear Our Voice (£5.50, code 6051; woven badge 65p, code 8466)? Turn to page 3 for ways to order yours now. And take a look too at our empowering Girls Can range.

inspired the Brownies, but the Brownies inspired her too. ‘It was a pleasure to discuss women’s sport, equal pay and women in politics with the Brownies. Even at a young age, it’s clear they are a very savvy bunch with a strong belief that girls should be treated no differently to boys. I hope Girlguiding’s campaign inspires a whole generation of young women.’

But it wasn’t just Brownies who got to meet their MP. After much in-depth research of the issues they planned to discuss, 1st Lee South Rangers visited Heidi at the House of

Clockwise from top left: with MP Heidi Alexander; Taliah casts her vote; visiting Westminster; grilling Heidi

Commons. Says Xanthe: ‘After a quick tour, the Rangers questioned Heidi on everything from how to increase the number of women in Parliament and the way women are portrayed in the media to sex and relationship education.’

Now Xanthe’s Brownies are working on the Girls Matter: Hear Our Voice resource. ‘The girls loved playing “If I were Prime Minister...” – they want to play it again this week,’ says Xanthe. ‘And if any of them were Prime Minister, we’d have Brownies every day!’







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Celebrate The Senior Section Spectacular!

WhatIn 2016, The Senior Section will be 100 years old, and there’ll be lots going on to mark the special year. Members of The Senior Section have already chosen the name for the celebrations: The Senior Section Spectacular.

It was in 1916 that Guide Leaders (then called Captains) noticed that the first girls who joined in 1910 were getting too old for their units, and began to form separate Patrols for them. The Senior Section was born. By 1920 they had settled on the name ‘Rangers’, a suggestion from Robert Baden-Powell. The new name conveyed the idea that the older section would have a wider outlook and range further afield than younger Guides.

WhyA century on, The Senior Section continues to provide amazing opportunities for young women to challenge themselves and play a part in changing the world. It’s definitely a reason to celebrate!

WhenThe celebrations will launch on 20/21 February 2016 to celebrate World Thinking Day – and run right through to a closing event in the autumn.

WhoIt’s not just for The Senior Section. There will be opportunities for members of all sections to join in the fun – for example, with a

Challenge badge that will give younger girls a taste of all the fantastic things on offer in The Senior Section.

WhereThere will be national events, celebrations in your local area and a chance to take part in an exciting international experience too (see below).

HowPlanning is hotting up and details of national events and challenges will be revealed soon. Plus, Countries and Regions are busy working on their own centenary celebrations.

August 2016 looks set to be action-packed, with North East England and Midlands Regions both running festival events. Then in September London and South East England Region (LaSER) will be organising an event centred on Parliament. Keep a lookout on your local guiding website and in newsletters to find out what’s happening in your area.

There will be an international opportunity too, with Roverway seeing

Start planning for next

year’s centenary

festivities

‘I thoroughly enjoyed being a member of The Senior Section – long ago! – and I’m very excited to see plans progressing for a superb celebration year in 2016’

CHIEF GUIDE GILL SLOCOMBE

Guiding and Scouting members from all over Europe converge on central France to explore the country and join in an international camp. For more details, check out www.girlguiding.org.uk/Roverway.

You’ll also be able to snap up some limited-edition souvenir merchandise from the Girlguiding online shop and volunteer shops – so keep your eyes peeled from this autumn.








Chloe Tiley, Manager of PGL’s Tregoyd House in the Brecon Beacons, first went to

Tregoyd when she was 11 and loved it. ‘I did every single activity!’ she smiles. Now back as Manager 16 years later, she loves watching young Girlguiding members facing challenges, beating their fears and having fun. ‘The best part of my day is when I walk around to chat to the girls. I check they’re all warm enough, have had enough food and are enjoying their activity,’ she says.

‘They often like the quad bikes best – it’s usually a new experience for them.’

The activities, the food and the support from PGL staff stand out in feedback from girls and Leaders. ‘We look after you from the minute you arrive,’ explains Chloe. ‘A designated group leader whisks the girls off while the guiding Leaders learn more about the centre. And even during down time PGL group leaders entertain the girls. We look after every single guest and are a handy extra set of eyes for guiding Leaders.’

Meet three women who work

for Girlguiding’s partner PGL,

bringing girls fun, excitement

and adventure both here

and abroad

Chloe’s been part of the PGL family for nine years, thriving through PGL’s training programme – and it’s great for girls in guiding to see young women like Chloe brimming with both adventure and leadership skills. ‘I’ve worked my way up from Administrator to Centre Manager,’ Chloe explains, ‘and I spent a number of years on the Mediterranean watersports training programme, teaching people how to windsurf and sail. Plus back here in the UK I’ve gained my dinghy instructor and powerboat qualifications.’

Agents of adventure!


Jenny Steel, PGL Overseas Tours Supervisor, is also a Leader with 1st Linton Brownies.

And by the time you read this magazine, Jenny’s Brownies will have been on their eighth PGL trip – a Brownie Exclusive Weekend at Tregoyd House! ‘We’re all very excited as we haven’t stayed at Tregoyd so are looking forward to trying some new activities as well as meeting lots of other Brownies – and Chloe, of course!’

As a Brownie Leader, Jenny understands the importance of outdoor adventure. ‘It gives girls exciting new challenges and helps them gain confidence and independence,’ she says.

And as PGL’s Overseas Tours Supervisor, she knows the difference a trip abroad makes. ‘Taking girls overseas gives them the opportunity to experience a different culture and create life-long memories.’

That’s just what Jenny helps lots of guiding Leaders give their girls through her role at PGL. ‘When a Leader wants to take a group overseas to our centres in France or Spain, we help them organise and run the trip from beginning to end. Each Leader has a dedicated tour organiser who is always available by email or phone to answer any queries, and there’s a 24-hour emergency line available throughout the trip.’

Just like Jenny, many guiding Leaders have very busy lives. ‘That’s why we aim to make it as easy as possible to run a residential,’ she explains. ‘PGL organises the activities, food, transport and evening entertainment – so Leaders can concentrate on looking after the girls and making sure they have a fantastic experience.’

There’s no doubt Jenny and the PGL team do a great job because the

Free PGL Preview Weekends for you!Seeing is believing – so PGL would like to invite you (as a Girlguiding Leader), your partner and family (up to two children) to enjoy a free activity weekend (or just a day) and experience PGL first hand at one of its 16 UK centres. Full-board accommodation and all activities and instruction are provided. See www.pgl.co.uk/leaderpreviews or call 08703 800 242.

Take your unitYour girls will love a PGL adventure – and there’s so much to choose from.+ UK multi-activity weekends (from £59 plus VAT per girl)+ Brownie Exclusive Weekends+ Paris and Disney October half term and Easter breaks Visit www.pgl.co.uk/guiding to find out more, and to request or view a copy of PGL’s brochure for uniformed groups.

Join our teamPGL also offers careers to thousands of young people each year. To share your love for sports, adventure, fun and the outdoors visit www.pgl.co.uk/jobs.

girls’ first question at the end of a trip is always, ‘When can we go again?’

And, Jenny says, it’s a special experience for Leaders too. ‘They get a great sense of achievement from watching the girls grow and learn as well as having fun themselves.’

Heather Sims, Tour Manager at Château de Grande Romaine in Paris, can vouch

for this. After taking their girls to PGL’s Paris

centre, many Leaders tell her: ‘It felt like a holiday for us too!’

Heather knows this matters because she understands how hard volunteers work. ‘My mum runs a Guide unit back home so I’ve always been involved,’ she says.

Heather – who was a Rainbow, Brownie, Guide and member of The Senior Section – loves to see girls blossom on overseas trips. ‘They get to see new places with their friends and experience a whole different culture and language,’ she says.

Inspiration

Tools for the job

‘Groups staying here usually explore Paris, smaller market towns and châteaux such as Fontainebleau and Versailles. Then, of course, there’s Disneyland Paris! That and the Eiffel Tower are favourites with the girls.’

For Leaders, it’s the support that really makes the trip special. ‘Each group has a tour leader for excursions, as well as a group leader to entertain them in the evenings,’ explains Heather, who trains and supports all PGL’s tour leaders in Paris. ‘Plus we provide three meals a day and there’s always someone on hand to answer any questions. Taking away so much of the hassle makes it a great experience for everyone.’





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members of The Senior Section will have a role,’ says Sue. ‘They’ll also produce a newspaper and update Facebook and Twitter. And they’ve requested a hot tub and late-night cinema for some R&R!’

Feedback from past events showed that girls felt food portions were stingy. So the taster day also researched food and portion sizes. ‘For example, girls tried a chicken curry – which they really liked,’ says Sue. ‘It means we’ll be able to ask caterers for interesting flavours – sometimes mass catering can be bland – and give them an idea of how much to serve.’ Thea’s verdict on the food? ‘Amazing!’

Girls were also consulted on the international element. ‘In the past there hasn’t been as much interaction with different groups from overseas as we would have liked,’ says Sue. ‘Having gathered girls’ comments, we now plan to mix girls from sub-camps during activities and also to have “hot spots” for badge swaps. That will increase the number of overseas

Inspiration

Tried and tested

Guides they meet.’ Girls also wanted more freedom, so it’s been decided to hold evening activities on a drop-in basis.

Since the taster day, visits to units have triggered more ideas, and Leaders are able to contact Sue and her team to pass on any more feedback from girls.

‘The taster day worked well because we asked for comments on specific things rather than general input, and because girls weren’t just asked, they tried. The odd bit of feedback surprised Sue. ‘I love bright colours and all things sparkly,’ she says. ‘But the girls said no to a multicoloured marquee, preferring a cheaper white one so that the money saved could be spent on more adventurous activities.’ So that’s just what will happen. Find fantastic ways to get your girls involved in planning everything from unit meetings to international trips by searching www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘Participation on a Plate’.

Want girls to have the best

camp experience? Give them

hands-on involvement from

the very beginning

‘Flame is the girls’ event, so everything on offer should be what girls want – and it was important to get things right from the very beginning.’ Sue Groves is Joint Lead Volunteer for Flame 2016, Hampshire West’s sixth international camp for Guides. ‘I love big events,’ she continues, ‘and for the last two Flames I’ve organised the activities. We’ve always done unit visits to ask for girls’ ideas. But this time we didn’t just want to ask, we wanted to give girls a taster and gather feedback.’

So a taster day for 30 girls and 12 Leaders from across the County was held at Foxlease – Girlguiding’s Activity Centre in the New Forest and Flame 2016 venue. Girls kicked off the day with a choice of fencing (pictured)or bushcraft, splitting into groups to give their feedback. ‘Then,’ says Sue, ‘girls tried a crime scene investigation (CSI) activity, doing fingerprinting and analysing “blood” samples. They loved that!’

It certainly went down well with Thea,13, from 1st Hardley Guides. ‘The CSI activity and fencing were my favourites,’ she says, adding that consultation is important ‘because you get to be part of a camp you help create’.

The suggestion of an enterprise zone with an Apprentice-style challenge got the thumbs-up too. ‘This will be one of many areas where








Inspiration

Imagine having girls from Nigeria, Sudan, Egypt, USA, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia and Australia, as well as the UK, in your unit. The 1st and 2nd Muscat Guides are certainly great examples of global guiding!

The units belong to British Guides in Foreign Countries (BGIFC) and live in the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, on the coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Last September the Oman District celebrated the 40th birthday of guiding in Oman. ‘Since our humble beginnings with just a few Brownies back in 1974, we’ve grown to include Rainbows, Brownies and Guides,’ says District Commissioner Diana Cramp.

‘Our units offer the only English-speaking guiding in Oman, so many nationalities join us,’ she explains.

‘It enables the girls and young women to continue their guiding experience when they’ve left their own countries. Guiding is something familiar that helps them make friends and settle into their new home.’

The best of all worlds‘I enjoy being in a multicultural unit,’ says British Guide Rebecca, 13. ‘We talk about different food, climates and festivals from our home countries, and we recommend places to visit.’ Zeina, 11, from Egypt, adds, ‘We get to mix with other cultures and learn about different people. It’s educational and teaches us respect.’

Catherine Elliott, Assistant Leader with 1st Muscat Guides, is from Scotland. ‘Being part of an international unit gives us all the

The two Guide units in

Oman must be among

the most multicultural in

the world

invaluable opportunity to experience the beauty of diversity first hand, and allows the girls to develop an open mind,’ she says.

To coincide with the Commonwealth Games in Scotland last summer, the girls got stuck into the Ready, Steady, Glasgow! resource, learning about Commonwealth countries, taking part in a mini games and making Nessie cakes. ‘It gave me a sense of history and made me realise that so many areas of the world take part in this event – although the best thing of all was tasting the Nessie cake!’ smiles Ella,13, from the UK.

‘I also learned a lot about other people,’ adds 11-year-old Aya from Egypt. ‘Scottish people believe in a rumour about the Loch Ness

Meet the Muscat Guides


learn what beauty and fashion are like in different places around the world,’ says Saskia, 12, one of the British Guides.

In fact, adds Diana, ‘Free Being Me was very relevant for our Guides. When we talked about the difference in perception of beauty, they could draw on their own experiences in their home countries.’

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What is BGIFC?British Guides in Foreign Countries (BGIFC) is part of Girlguiding and follows the same programme as guiding in the UK. It operates in countries where it’s difficult for girls to join local units, either because units don’t exist or because of language or cultural differences. BGIFC started in Portugal in 1911, and nowadays there are units in countries all over the world, from Abu Dhabi to Tanzania.

Back to basics

‘BGIFC is a wonderful link for building bridges between countries and establishing lifelong friendships from different cultures’

CHIEF GUIDE GILL SLOCOMBE

Monster! Fascinating, huh?’For Diwali, the Muscat Rainbow

Leader, Revati, told them all about the festival and showed them how to make Indian sweets. She also brought some beautiful saris for the girls to try on. ‘I loved dressing up in Indian cultural clothing. It’s interesting to

In the Christmas spiritWhen the temperature is almost 30 degrees in early December, what better way to get that Christmassy feeling than to go ice skating? Some girls even had their Promise ceremony on the ice. ‘It was my first time ice skating,’ enthuses Ifeoluwa, 13, from Nigeria. ‘I was very wobbly but I had a training frame so I could go round the rink.’

Last Christmas, the units sang carols at one of the shopping centres – another new experience for some girls. ‘Carol singing with the other Guides made me feel like I was back home,’ says Chloe, 12, from the USA. ‘It was so nice to share this tradition with some of the Guides who’d never done it before!’

Chloe arrived in Oman ten months ago – and her mum Teresa Greene also joined guiding in the country, becoming Assistant Leader with 2nd Muscat Guides. ‘I’m American and was a Girl Scout when growing up,’ says Teresa. ‘Guiding helps girls learn to respect each other’s differences – and realise how much we all have in common too! I’m glad to be a part of this worldwide group of women and girls. It is a blessing to have this connection wherever we go!’

Back to natureWhen it comes to camping, living in a hot desert country has its advantages – it’s very unlikely to rain! But it’s not all sand dunes. Qurum Natural Park is an oasis of lush greenery in the heart of the city. The Muscat Guides recently visited a conservation park at its centre, where a wetland area hosts a mangrove plantation and provides a habitat for a wide variety of birds. ‘I was very surprised to find out how important the mangroves are,’ says Elinice, 14, from Nigeria. ‘Looking at different species of plants and animals made me realise how diverse nature can be, just like us in the Muscat Guides!’

Inspiration

Ice skating at Christmas and (main picture) parachute games on camp in the desert





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Get set for September

Waiting listsIf you have spaces in your unit, you can use the ‘Waiting-to-join/Waiting-to-transfer’ report on Join Us to see your waiting list. If there are girls who are unlikely to get into your unit, ask your local Commissioner if other local units have spaces and then communicate with them.

TransitionsSometimes girls find it difficult to move up to the next section. Try planning a joint meeting with a unit whose girls will be joining you. The ‘Area contact details’ report on Go! can help you make these connections.

Go to Go!Remember to update your unit records on Go!. Provide existing members’ parents/carers with a copy of their daughter’s ‘Individual Details’ report to confirm if any details have changed. All girls should be recorded in your ‘Active young members’ list once they’ve attended their second unit meeting. You can make a unit meeting register, print consent forms and add emergency contact details. Remember to let your Commissioner know if you have any changes in the Unit Team. Visit the ‘Download help files’ area of Go! to find out how to do this.

Volunteer shopNow’s the perfect time to stock up on resources for the term. Visit www.girlguidingshop.co.uk to order online, or click on Shop Locator or call the Sales and Information team on 0161 941 2237 to find your nearest volunteer shop.

Off for some guiding adventures

(or a well-deserved break!)? Before

you go, take a look at our checklist

to help you plan ahead for the new

term – and new members

Warm welcomes

Make sure everyone gets a warm welcome at the start of term. Chat to new parents so you can tell them about guiding and they can discuss their daughters’ needs with you.

Welcome packs New volunteers will receive an automated welcome email with their membership number, and parents and carers of Rainbows, Brownies and Guides in the UK will receive a parents’ welcome pack – Welcome to Girlguiding: Your first steps in the guiding world. For existing members, you can print a copy of the welcome pack from the resources area at www.girlguiding.org.uk/growingguiding.

Starting... leaflets Remember to ask new parents or carers to complete one of these. Blank versions can be downloaded from www.girlguiding.org.uk by searching for ‘Starting... leaflet’. For existing members moving to your unit, Go! can fill in the leaflet for you, and then parents or carers can check and update it.

Make every meeting greatCheck out what training opportunities your County has on offer to give you fresh ideas and inspiration when planning your term’s activities. And don’t forget to visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/guidingmanual for support and guidelines.





[email protected]: 01903 444100

PacificSouth

EuropeEastern

Caribbean& the

LatinAmerica

AfricaAsia

Group TripsVolunteer Overseas

Projects Abroad held my hand throughout all the planning and came up with an incredible and challenging programme for our 2 weeks in Nepal.

Lesley Ashton, LEADER, GIRLGUIDING SLOUGH

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Make the most of your guiding

Q I’m a Brownie Leader, but need an extra challenge. Can you suggest something?A What about completing the Going Away With Scheme and taking your girls on a residential? Or you could help others develop their skills by becoming a Mentor for members completing their Leadership Qualification. Alternatively, what about becoming a Trainer for Girlguiding or an Adviser in your area? Speak to your local Commissioner for more information on all these opportunities.

Q I’d like to do more adventurous outdoor activities with my unit but don’t feel confident. What can I do?A Talk to your Commissioner or Outdoor Activities Adviser about learning and training opportunities in your area. You could do one of our outdoor qualifications, such as those for walking, climbing and abseiling, or power-cruising. Alternatively, you could attend a training such as Out and About or Water Safety. Check out what’s on offer by searching www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘build your skills’.

Q In my day job, I work with children who have additional needs. How can I use this to benefit guiding?A Ask your Commissioner about becoming an Additional Needs Adviser. You can play an important role in ensuring that guiding is open to all girls, and be a vital part of Girlguiding’s plan for 2020.

Q Guiding should be girl-led but I end up coming up with most ideas! How can I get my Guides more involved in decision-making?A Participation on a Plate (search www.girlguiding.org.uk for ‘Unit Leader resources’) will give you ideas for getting girls to think about what they want to do and voting for their favourite idea. You could also ask your Commissioner if a local training on girl-led guiding could be organised.

Q I’ve been a Leader for a while and am interested in taking on a Commissioner role. How do I go about it?A Speak to your local Commissioner about what it involves, and whether any vacancies are coming up. If recruited as a Commissioner, you would shadow the outgoing Commissioner for six months as Commissioner designate and work with a Mentor before you are confirmed in the role. There are also Leading and Managing People training sessions to support all members who lead and manage other adults in their role.

Guiding gives you so

many great opportunities

to grow your skills

Developing skills = more fun for girls!+ Rozzy Skuse (below, centre),

Leader with Aghadowey Guides, Ulster, recently completed her Mountain Leader training course. ‘I love hill walking and getting the girls into the hills. I think they enjoy it – they come back for more, which is a good indicator! The training was fun and I met some great people. The most challenging part was the overnight expedition – there we were at midnight, eating gloopy food and exhausted, but laughing at the same time!’

+ Emma Munro (above left, front), Leader with 2nd Chaulden Guides, Anglia, has recently taken on the role of County International Adviser for Hertfordshire. ‘As a Guide, I was lucky to have lots of great international experiences, and I want to give something back. It’s amazing to see how much an international experience can change someone. I love the enthusiasm that people bring back from their trips!’





[email protected]: 01903 444100

PacificSouth

EuropeEastern

Caribbean& the

LatinAmerica

AfricaAsia

Group TripsVolunteer Overseas

Projects Abroad held my hand throughout all the planning and came up with an incredible and challenging programme for our 2 weeks in Nepal.

Lesley Ashton, LEADER, GIRLGUIDING SLOUGH

Adventures Offshore_Guid_Sum_15.indd 1 15/05/2015 10:19

056_GUIDING_SUM15.indd 56 18/05/2015 12:40

Tools for the job


We’re here to helpThere’s lots of information and

support available online these

days, but it’s still great to have

that personal touch. Find out

more about the support

available locally

Mentors Mentors support volunteers to achieve Girlguiding’s qualifications, and help them settle into new roles.Bex Mezzo, Mentor for Leaders in Training in Girlguiding Lincolnshire South County (above): ‘It’s really great seeing my former Guides go through the process and become Leaders of their very own units. I think that it’s extremely important that we have lots of good-quality Mentors who support others to understand what’s being asked for in the Leadership Qualification so that people don’t feel scared they’ve taken on too much.’ Kirsty Barker, Leader in Training with 1st Washington Guides and Rainbows: ‘I’m doing my Leadership Qualification and my Mentor really helped me to gain confidence with things I was unsure about. One particular subject was how to encourage more girls to move up from Brownies to Guides. I took her advice and did a school assembly, which was a big hit!’

Advisers Advisers are volunteers who specialise in a particular area, such as the outdoors, public relations or supporting girls with additional needs. They advise on activities and motivate members to try new things.Kim Whitmore, LaSER Public Relations Adviser (above): ‘Our brand is unique as we offer opportunities to girls like no other charity, and it’s my job to help others explain that to the public. It’s also important to make sure members know what’s happening, such as an exciting event or a change in policy. I’ve learned so many new skills from doing this role – from social media and event planning to brand awareness.’Jennifer Warren, Leader with 3rd Rustington Brownies: ‘When a Brownie with additional needs joined our unit, our Adviser talked me through what to do, came to a meeting with the parent, visited the unit before the girl joined and came again after she started to see how we were doing. She was great!’

Trainers Trainers run training sessions for volunteers on a wide range of subjects, from the programme to Leading and Managing People. These sessions help adult volunteers develop their skills, complete aspects of Girlguiding qualifications and establish valuable peer-support networks. Training is vital to ensure the programme offer is up to date and relevant to today’s girls.Alison Plummer, Trainer with Girlguiding Scotland (above): ‘Being a Trainer gives me the opportunity to share my passion for guiding with others. I love it when volunteers leave one of my sessions with smiles on their faces, renewed enthusiasm for guiding and loads of ideas to use with their girls. Trainings also provide a forum for discussion, and a chance to share experiences, expertise and current developments.’Kirsty Thorpe, Leader with 21st Wakefield Brownies: ‘When completing the Going Away With Scheme, I thought that because I was quite experienced I wouldn’t benefit from attending a training. But I found it so useful! I learned new ways of doing things – it was nice to find out about how other people do things, instead of just sticking to the same way we’ve always done it.’

Find the support you need You can get in touch with everyone in your support network by contacting your local Commissioner.

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CommissionersCommissioners lead, manage and support guiding within a specific area to help volunteers give girls and young women the best possible guiding experience. Tracey Bottomley, County Commissioner for West Yorkshire West (right): ‘Every local area of guiding needs someone who is ultimately responsible for what goes on in it, and who ensures that it is following procedures, moving with the times – and is lots of fun too. I like being able to see the bigger picture of Girlguiding rather than just my own unit’s, and also having an input in how guiding will be shaped in the future.’

Helen Meyer, Leader with 6th Tonbridge Brownies: ‘My District Commissioner, Nina Mills, is amazing. I’m District Treasurer and a couple of years ago I started a degree which took up much of my time.

I was struggling to run my Brownie unit and check all the accounts, so Nina offered to help me. She also helps me chase units to produce their accounts – in a diplomatic manner! She’s a real guiding star.’

Coordinators A Coordinator acts as a point of contact for a particular element of the guiding programme. Mandy Turgoose, Guiding Development Coordinator for

Beauvale Division (above): ‘This is an important role as it gives all Leaders in the Division a central contact to help them get all the training materials they need, and ensures that we keep our Leadership

Qualification records up to date on Go!. It really gives me a lot of satisfaction to get the completed book off to the District Commissioners and then safely returned to the newly qualified Leader.’Helen Baker, Division Commissioner for Beauvale Division: ‘It’s been an absolute godsend for us to have someone like Mandy in this role. We Commissioners have been able to go out and get to know our Leaders, and recruit and encourage new ones, confident that Mandy is making sure the administrative side is under control and that new Leaders’ training is being completed properly. It’s one less job for me to worry about.’






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uniform and a Facebook message asking me if I can print out a subscriptions invoice as the Leader’s printer is broken.

We are in the process of opening a new Rainbow unit so I’m supporting the new Leader. She brought the idea to open the unit to me and I responded very enthusiastically. I told her what I enjoyed about my Rainbow unit and that I thought she’d make a great Leader. She’ll attend a few of my unit meetings to get a feel for the programme, and use my resources until she builds up her own. Once she’s started, I’ll pop in regularly to see how things are going.

4:30pm I head to school – where we hold Rainbows and Brownies – to set up. My

daughter is often the first to arrive at 5pm. When we started the unit in 2003 we intended to have a group of 12, but we ended up having 18 enthusiastic little Rainbows!

6.15pm A quick break for a chocolate bar and then 30 eager Brownies all arrive.

They’re working on their Brownie skills badge, so they move around stations writing envelopes, making sandwiches for healthy packed lunches and sewing on badges.

This time in 2013 I attended a ceremony to receive the St Davids City Council’s Community Award. I was surprised to win and very humbled to think that something I do as a hobby, and which is very important to me, is so valued.

7:45pm I get home to a hot meal, which is most welcome. Brownie and Rainbow bags

are put in the study ready to be sorted tomorrow – that’s enough guiding for one day!

I like being involved with guiding at a District level. I enjoy meeting other Leaders from a wide area and supporting them and seeing their confidence grow. It’s just so rewarding.

Rhian’s guiding life: + Rhian joined 1st St Davids Brownies in 1986 at the age of seven.

She says, ‘I remember buying my Brownie uniform. Mum was a Cub Scout Leader and I’d been an honorary member of her pack. I was not impressed when I was shown the brown dress and was adamant that I wanted a green jumper!’ But, she says, ‘A couple of weeks on and I was hooked!’

+ Rhian moved up to 1st St Davids Guides in 1989, becoming a Young Leader with the Brownies until she went to university in 1997. She returned to 1st St Davids Brownies as Leader in 2002, after finding a local job as a teacher.

+ Rhian also runs the District volunteer shop. She has been District Commissioner for seven years.

Inspiration

Opposite and above: Rhian adventuring with her Brownies. Top: 1st St Davids Rainbows say hello to some giraffes










Inspiration

7am I get up and have breakfast with the family. Then I scrabble around the house looking for items for

the meetings tonight with 1st St Davids Rainbows and 1st St Davids Brownies. I put everything in bags by the front door ready to grab later.

8.45am I walk to school with my five-year-old daughter Amelia, my husband Ben

and Charley the dog. I’m greeted at the school gate by a chorus of voices asking, ‘What are we doing tonight?’ And I’m handed a consent form and money for an upcoming activity.

I’m Commissioner for Dewi District in Pembrokeshire. My role includes supporting Leaders day to day, helping to set up new units and

holding meetings to organise District-wide events. It’s so important for the girls to feel they are part of a wider family, not just their own units. We recently took our Brownies on a Disney Frozen-themed holiday with Guides and members of The Senior Section from St Davids. The first night we had team games, one of which involved turning a member of each team into Olaf the Snowman with toilet rolls. I’m not sure who had the most fun – the girls or Leaders!

9am I walk five doors up from the school to the funeral directors and hardware shop,

a family business where I work with my brother and father. I settle down to some admin, preparing an order of service and organising some flowers.

11am A family comes in to discuss a funeral. When talking with families it’s

important to listen and be level headed. I guide them but am careful not to make any decisions for them. I also apply this to my role as District Commissioner. I support Leaders while helping them develop the confidence to make their own decisions.

12.30pm Lunchtime. I eat a quick sandwich and then photocopy some guiding

letters and consent forms using the very handy photocopier in the shop. It is useful having a family hardware shop, as often the things I need for guiding are right there! I have time to answer a couple of messages from Leaders. There is a text about Rainbow

Rhian Silverstone sees

similarities between her role

as a District Commissioner

and her day job – in a

funeral parlourA day in the life


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uniform and a Facebook message asking me if I can print out a subscriptions invoice as the Leader’s printer is broken.

We are in the process of opening a new Rainbow unit so I’m supporting the new Leader. She brought the idea to open the unit to me and I responded very enthusiastically. I told her what I enjoyed about my Rainbow unit and that I thought she’d make a great Leader. She’ll attend a few of my unit meetings to get a feel for the programme, and use my resources until she builds up her own. Once she’s started, I’ll pop in regularly to see how things are going.

4:30pm I head to school – where we hold Rainbows and Brownies – to set up. My

daughter is often the first to arrive at 5pm. When we started the unit in 2003 we intended to have a group of 12, but we ended up having 18 enthusiastic little Rainbows!

6.15pm A quick break for a chocolate bar and then 30 eager Brownies all arrive.

They’re working on their Brownie skills badge, so they move around stations writing envelopes, making sandwiches for healthy packed lunches and sewing on badges.

This time in 2013 I attended a ceremony to receive the St Davids City Council’s Community Award. I was surprised to win and very humbled to think that something I do as a hobby, and which is very important to me, is so valued.

7:45pm I get home to a hot meal, which is most welcome. Brownie and Rainbow bags

are put in the study ready to be sorted tomorrow – that’s enough guiding for one day!

I like being involved with guiding at a District level. I enjoy meeting other Leaders from a wide area and supporting them and seeing their confidence grow. It’s just so rewarding.

Rhian’s guiding life: + Rhian joined 1st St Davids Brownies in 1986 at the age of seven.

She says, ‘I remember buying my Brownie uniform. Mum was a Cub Scout Leader and I’d been an honorary member of her pack. I was not impressed when I was shown the brown dress and was adamant that I wanted a green jumper!’ But, she says, ‘A couple of weeks on and I was hooked!’

+ Rhian moved up to 1st St Davids Guides in 1989, becoming a Young Leader with the Brownies until she went to university in 1997. She returned to 1st St Davids Brownies as Leader in 2002, after finding a local job as a teacher.

+ Rhian also runs the District volunteer shop. She has been District Commissioner for seven years.

Inspiration

Opposite and above: Rhian adventuring with her Brownies. Top: 1st St Davids Rainbows say hello to some giraffes









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Tegan’s hands-on expertise makes her the perfect choice for her new role as Lead Volunteer for Membership Communications. The Assistant Leader with 4th Paddington Brownies has lots of communications experience, including having coordinated social media for Azafady, a charity supporting sustainable development in Madagascar. ‘I want to improve the information that guiding members are getting so that it’s applicable to their particular role, whether that’s as a participant or as a volunteer,’ she says.

As well as volunteering with guiding, Tegan does a weekly four-hour shift on the National Domestic Violence Helpline and is a mentor with The Girls’ Network, an organisation that helps girls choose their career pathways.

Her passionate support for initiatives that help girls and young women achieve their potential is one of the things she took from her guiding

role model, her Ranger Leader Gemma Clarke. The late teenage years are a time when girls can drift away

from guiding, and Tegan credits Gemma with keeping her engaged.

‘She had a real go-getting attitude

and was very outdoorsy,’ says Tegan. ‘Gemma got us outside doing lots of hiking and learning how to read maps. And we did a lot of practical things that were relevant to our teenage lives. Some of us were having driving lessons at this point and we had a car mechanic come and talk to us. I still remember and use all that stuff I learned, such as how to jack up a car!

‘Gemma was only about 22 at the time but to us she seemed quite old, and we respected her as well as thinking she was lots of fun. It wasn’t until I got to her age myself that I realised how young she’d been when she did all this with us. At camp, and on the long walks, she was able to converse with us about things we didn’t feel we could talk to our parents or teachers about, and share her own experiences.

She did a really good job.’ Tegan’s non-

guiding role model is Nimco Ali, the anti female genital mutilation (FGM) campaigner and co-founder of the support organisation Daughters of Eve. ‘She’s someone I’ve followed for the last few years and I heard her speak at the London Feminist Film Festival. She’s a survivor of FGM and wants to focus on the fact that it’s not a cultural issue, it’s just a basic human no-no! I like how she engages with the people who can effect change, such as politicians and policy makers. She’s not just a voice in the wilderness; she really tries to make things happen.’ Read more about the membership communications review on page 36.

Role call!Tegan Jones’ role models

are all about being

practical and making

things happen







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‘We took our guiding Minifigs diving on holiday with us to the Maldives in October. Minifigs are little Lego® versions of people and I bought one each for my mum, who’s a Leader, and my sister, who’s a Ranger, in their guiding uniforms.

‘I’ve recently taken an underwater photography course. I’ve been diving since I was nine and have dived in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean – as well as in a freezing muddy lake in England! I also like photography so the course seemed perfect.

‘There is a big difference between underwater and regular photography. Light and movement are very big factors. As you go deeper, you start to lose certain colours, so in order to capture all

Your letters, photos, stories, opinions...We want to hear from you! Simply email your contributions to [email protected], or write to Your Voice, guiding magazine, 17–19 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0PT*

STAR

PHOTO

‘We took our guiding Minifigs diving’LEXIE, 13, 1st COPTHORNE RANGERS

Lexie (above) and one of the underwater pictures she took of her mum, sister and the Minifigs (left)

‘Your guiding experience gives you a huge advantage’LOUISA HILLS, ASSISTANT LEADER WITH 7th WORCESTER GUIDES

‘I’ve been involved with guiding since joining Brownies aged seven, and I’ve been going to international events since being selected for the World Camp at Foxlease at the age of 14. I’d always wanted to travel, but thought proper travelling was like winning the lottery – something you dream about but don’t expect to happen.

‘At 27 I finally took the plunge and organised a working holiday visa for Australia. I spent two years working and travelling there, followed by six months doing the same in New Zealand. It was fantastic and the skills I’d learned through guiding were invaluable. I knew how and what to pack, how to find my way, and how to cope in shared dormitories. And knowing I could live comfortably in a tent meant I could stretch my budget by choosing camping over hostels. On one trip I was told I could swim with dolphins the next day, but only if I could take down my tent alone in the

Louisa, right, at the fanTAStic jamboree in Tasmania

the colours and not turn out with a blue photo you learn lots of techniques.

‘We saw a lot of beautiful things under the water and I think the Minifigs enjoyed it too!’You can buy yourself and your guiding friends in miniature at www.minifigs.me/girlguiding.

dark at 4am – which, of course, was no problem!‘Guiding also gave me contacts. An Aussie Leader

arranged a week’s free accommodation at the Brisbane HQ, and invited me to fanTAStic, the international jamboree in Tasmania. In New Zealand I helped out with a Guide unit while working in Christchurch, giving me something sociable to do in a city where I knew no one.

‘To anyone who fancies a gap year but finds the idea scary, I’d say that your guiding experience gives you a huge advantage. You know how to make friends, how to share living space and how to look after yourself and your gear. And you have a network of people you can get in touch with. Scary? Yes – but absolutely worth it.’

STARSTORY

Your voice


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‘Next term we’ll organise a night when we teach our girls Sign Language’CHLOE HARRISON, 17, YOUNG LEADER WITH 1st HAYTON RAINBOWS AND BROWNIES, CUMBRIA

‘Early this year, while I was looking at the Girlguiding Facebook page, I noticed that someone from the United States was looking for a Rainbow unit in the UK to swap letters and badges with for World Thinking Day. I thought this would be a great idea for my Rainbows – my Brownie unit swaps letters with Tao Nan

School Brownies in Singapore.‘I sent a message to the lady and

exchanged addresses, and then we sent off our letters. But this isn’t the end of my story. I was on Google one day, when I just happened to type in the troop’s number. The information I found was not what I was expecting at all.

‘Troop 40735 in Vernon Hills, Illinois, is a unit of deaf girls. Tiffany Deyoung, a local mum, set up the new unit when she found out that their closest Girl Scout troop wasn’t able to provide an interpreter for her two girls. Troop 40735 has grown bigger and bigger, with parents bringing their girls from all over the state. The girls are no different from other units around them apart from when on parade they sign everything.

‘I think next term we’ll organise a night when we teach our girls Sign

‘It’s time for women to bring their ideas, techniques and thinking into the world’BRIDIE, 11, ZORYANA, 10, AND PATRICIA, 12, ST ALBANS 9th ABBEY GUIDES, HERTFORDSHIRE

‘We made our voices heard when we reached the district finals of the Rotary Youth Speaks public-speaking competition. We won two rounds and were runners up in the district finals.

‘Our subject throughout the competition was the negative impact of

Are you a star?Every issue we’ll be giving two star prizes for contributions to ‘Your voice’ – one for a great photo, the other for a great story. Two lucky contributors will each receive a £20 gift voucher to spend on guiding merchandise at local volunteer shops and at Trading Service (mail order only).

Language and how to cope in situations where you can’t hear, such as crossing the road or a fire alarm. I just know that our Rainbows are going to find this connection with their pen pals really interesting.’

From left: Patricia, Bridie and Zoryana

celebrity culture on young people and our title was: “I’m a celebrity… So what?”

‘We’ve all learned amazing skills like how to come across as confident, control our nerves, speak out for what we believe in and teamwork. We’ve supported each other throughout

the event and we work well together as a team. The skills we’ve learned won’t just help in future careers but in everything that we do: interviews, friendships, speeches and more.

‘We think it’s absolutely crucial for

girls and young women to have their voices heard. We’ve been raised in a male-dominated society and now it’s time for women to become empowered and bring their ideas, techniques and thinking into the world and make it a stronger, happier place.’

Your voice


‘To me, “Girls Can” means that, no matter what people say or think, if you want something badly enough, nothing can stop you. There are no limits to what girls can achieve and we shouldn’t be afraid to try new things. That’s why watching my Brownies learn new skills is so special.

‘I loved luge from the very first time I slid down a track. And although it was something I initially really struggled with, I kept at it and with guidance and coaching I reached the standard to represent my country. Last year, when I won a bronze medal at the Nationals Cup in Austria, the first medal Great Britain has ever won, the sense of personal achievement was absolutely out of this world.

‘To aspiring athletes – or those hoping to achieve in any other field – I’d say don’t be afraid to have a go, always try your hardest and love what you do. If you put your heart into it – practise, practise and practise a bit more – then anything is possible.’Shout out to the world that #GirlsCan do anything with our great Girls Can range. See www.girlguidingshop.co.uk.

‘It was guiding that taught me about teamwork’AIMÉE THOMPSON, 15, 1st CALVERTON SENIOR SECTION, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

‘A couple of years ago I won two medals at the Taekwon-Do Unified ITF World Championships in London. I was part of the England team in the cadet girls 14 to 16 category.

‘I started training in Taekwon-Do when I was nine. I love it because not only do you learn self-defence, but also determination and perseverance. To become good at anything you need these qualities and practice makes perfect. It took four years of rigorous training to get to the World Championships.

‘It was guiding that taught me about teamwork. In competitions you go against your teammates but you still cheer for them. Guiding also encouraged me to try new activities. I was quite shy when I was younger and guiding gave me the confidence to try something different – something where I was the centre of attention, and the red face and helmet are not very flattering!

‘At the World Championships I won the Bronze medal individually for sparring and the team won Gold in a team sparring event. I was extremely happy about the Gold medal because it was a real team effort – we’d all done our best. I never thought I’d win that Bronze. It was a tough fight so I was overwhelmed to win.’

‘There are no limits to what girls can achieve’ LIZZIE DRIVER, LEADER WITH 3rd DOWNHAM MARKET METHODIST BROWNIES AND WORLD-CLASS LUGE CHAMPION

Your voice


‘Visiting a WAGGGS World Centre had been my dream since I first found out about them when I was a Brownie. I was really lucky to visit Our Chalet in Switzerland in 2007, but my World Centre dream really came true in October 2012, when I got the chance to spend five and a half months as a volunteer at Sangam, India.

‘I absolutely fell in love, not only with India but with the Centre itself, and after only eight months being home in the UK I was on a plane going back to Sangam to work as a marketing and communications intern.

‘Working and living at a World

‘I’m so happy to be a Brownie. I hope guiding in Dundee keeps going for another 100 years’

TEGAN, 8, AND PAIGE (BROWNIE HELPER), 10, CRAIGIEBANK BROWNIES, AND KATIE, 10, 29th DUNDEE GUIDES, SCOTLAND

Katie (back left): ‘We performed in front of 1,800 members at the Dundee Centenary event. Our District’s theme was the 1940s and we sang “YouAre My Sunshine” and danced the jitterbug. It was great fun but nerve-wracking. I got more confident as it went on.’Tegan: ‘About 350 members from different Districts in the County dressed in uniforms from the 1920s onwards. Our part was definitely my favourite. The decade we had was the 1970s and my friends did a really great job.’Paige: ‘I dressed in a 1970s Guide uniform and did funky moves to “I Love to Boogie”. My favourite act was the girls who sang songs from The Wizard of Oz – it was so cool with the outfits and stuff. My mum was on stage with me as she is the Brownie Leader and she helped to organise the event too.’Tegan: ‘Haha… It’s crazy to think it’s been 100 years since Girlguiding Dundee started. I’m so happy to be a Brownie. I hope that guiding in Dundee keeps going for another 100 years.’

‘Working and living at a World Centre for 11 months was amazing’RACHEL SMITH (BELOW, FAR LEFT), PEER EDUCATOR AND LEADER WITH 1st OATLANDS GUIDES, SURREY

Centre for 11 months was amazing. I got to meet Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from all over the world with the same passion and enthusiasm as me. I also saw the impact guiding has on girls and young women all over the world – WAGGGS is changing lives through initiatives like Free Being Me and Stop the Violence.

‘But why should you visit Sangam? Truly and simply it is incredible!

It allows you to be slowly immersed in India’s culture – visiting local community partners, learning to tie a sari, eating Indian food, even Bollywood dancing in the monsoon rain! I returned home in November 2014, but my life has been changed for ever by the experience.’Take the first step in discovering Sangam, Our Chalet and Our Cabaña for yourself by visiting www.girlguiding.org.uk and searching for ‘World Centres’.Rachel is a member of the team organising the Free Being Me Festival in Sangam this August. Find out more at www.free-being-me.com/about/festival.

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068_GUIDING_SUM15.indd 68 20/05/2015 10:04

Your voice


Lynne-Marie: ‘I decided to come back to guiding after a mother-and-daughter camp with my daughter Trinity’s unit. We were in teams and collected points for camping tasks, such as building a washing-up stand and making a campfire then cooking a meal on it. Trinity’s team managed to win the most points!’ Trinity: ‘I liked it that we included the mums and they weren’t just watching.

‘I never thought I’d get to train with the Team GB Sitting Volleyball team, but that’s what we did!’ANNA STONE, LEADER, AND HANNAH, 9, EMMA, 8, AND ISABELLE, 7, 7th HORLEY BROWNIES, SURREY

Anna: ‘There are so many opportunities for girls to do something different with Girlguiding, and the great thing about being a Leader is that I get to do them too. When I watched the Paralympics in

2012 I never thought I’d get to train with the Team GB Sitting Volleyball team, but that’s exactly what my unit and I did!

‘Having previously tried indoor volleyball with members of the Dorking Volleyball Club, the Brownies were interested to learn the differences between the Olympic and Paralympic sports as part of their Disability awareness badge. The girls had a go at some training exercises, and practised moving around the court and passing the ball. They also helped the team by collecting stray volleyballs and spent

‘I think Mum will make a really good Leader’ LYNNE-MARIE SHARPER-EDWARDS, ASSISTANT LEADER, AND TRINITY, 12, GUIDE UNIT IN ELY

I enjoyed showing them our skills and being the ones who knew best how to do things.’Lynne-Marie: ‘I loved seeing Trinity mixing with girls her own age, being outdoorsy and

doing things off her own bat. The biggest shock for me was putting up a canvas tent – I was just standing there looking at the canvas and poles! A highlight was Trinity and I brushing our teeth together at the end of each day. We’d walk through the woods with our torches and have a little catch-up together – that’s where we took this selfie.’

some time asking questions. They finished by watching Team GB play a game.

‘Everyone involved was really accommodating, and both the indoor and sitting volleyball teams are hoping that 7th Horley Brownies has some players for the future in its ranks! The Brownies are now looking forward to learning Makaton and meeting a Hearing Dog for the Deaf (as well as his owner!) for the rest of the badge.’Hannah: ‘I was amazed at how quickly the players were able to move around the court – on their bottoms!’Emma: ‘It was good to see all the people with different disabilities and how they worked as a team.’Isabelle: ‘I thought it would be quite tricky and it was, but it was also fun.’If you’ve been inspired by 7th Horley Brownies’ Paralympic adventure, why not visit www.volleyballengland.org and find out how you can get involved.

Trinity: ‘I was proud of mum – she was really good at some of the tasks and she’d never done them before. I think she’ll make a really good Leader.’For more ways of getting parents involved, see www.girlguiding.org.uk/growingguiding. And for information about running family camps, check out www.girlguiding.org.uk/guidingmanual.

Dartington Daisy BowlDiameter 21.5cm2419£25

0161 941 2237 to find your nearest volunteer shop or to order from the catalogue. Shop online at www.girlguidingshop.co.uk.

Celebrate the end of the guiding year!

Move On Up!6710£6

Pot of Gold badges & cards (5pk)6157£6.50

Pot of Gold

Guide Clip8753£4

Brownies Photo Clip8353£6

Brownie certificate664345p

Rainbows Photo Album8365£3

‘Me to You’ Tatty Teddy7246£9.25

Don’t forget cards and certificates for girls moving to a new section – and gifts to say thank you!

Your voice


‘If no one will listen to us we have to make our voices heard as we are all equal and all deserve to be listened to’REBECCA, 14, 1st CHISLEHURST GUIDES (NOW IN 1st CHISLEHURST SENIOR SECTION)

‘For Democracy Day I went up to London to the BBC to talk on Woman’s Hour with two of my fellow Guides and my Guide Leader. We met Jane Garvey [presenter of the BBC Radio 4 programme] and Baroness D’Souza, Speaker of the House of Lords. We also spoke to Laura and Helen Pankhurst, descendants of Suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst.

‘On the show we spoke about a variety of different topics including No More Page 3, women’s rights in the UK and in different countries, and the Girls Matter: Hear Our Voice badge.

‘The badge is important because it teaches girls that what they say does matter, as women make up over half of the population in the UK. If no one will listen to us we

have to make our voices heard as we are all equal and all deserve to be listened to.’Help your girls speak out with Girls Matter: Hear Our Voice (£5.50, code 6051) and they can wear the Girls Matter badge (65p, code 8466) with pride. See page 3 for ways to order.

Charlie (pictured front left): ‘We talked live on air at our local community radio station, SFM, as part our Communicator badge. I thought the radio station was a cool and fun place. In the studio they had a couple of computers for music, weather and travel, plus some big microphones. The DJ was nice and very funny. I asked a question on air about how they get their travel information and if it was accurate.

I was a bit nervous at first.’Lesley: ‘Once they got over their initial nerves the girls became very talkative, asking about the station’s engagement with their audience and where they get their playlists from. When they asked about travel, Stu James – the DJ who presents The Saturday Show – showed the girls the various feeds of travel information on the computer and how these are interpreted.’

Rebecca (centre) with Leader Helen, fellow Guides Olivia and Elizabeth, and presenter Jane Garvey

Charlie: ‘Sometimes me and my dad listen to this radio station. Dad was listening that day and when I asked a question he said, “That’s my girl!”. I would like to work on a radio station as I could play all the music I liked – yay!’ Lesley: ‘I was so proud of the girls. I watched some who, when starting Guides, would hardly have spoken to me, now just six months later actually speaking live on air!’

‘I thought the radio station was a cool and fun place’LESLEY TAYLOR, LEADER, AND CHARLIE, 11, 2nd SITTINGBOURNE GUIDES

Activity Centres

Registered charity number 306016.

Blackland Farm FoxleaseWaddow Hallwww.girlguiding.org.uk/activitycentres

School trips

Meeting venue

International trips

Guiding events

Camps & holidays


Your voice


‘At Chillfest, the winter camp in Wales for The Senior Section, we did lots of amazing activities – caving, archery, an inflatable assault course, zip wire,

‘Camping in the winter is great and we hope to camp in every season this year’TWINS ALISHA AND SOPHIE, 15, 2nd TYCROES RANGERS

We can’t wait for Chillfest 2016 – our first camp of The Senior Section centenary year.’Summer’s not the only time for residentials! Start planning a winter event under canvas – or in an unusual venue such as a museum – now.

ALISON GREEN, LEADER, AND HATTIE, 12, 1st GREAT MISSENDEN GUIDES, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Alison: ‘We had a wonderful time at Blackland Farm. We chose it for the wide range of activities it offered on and off site. I have a love of steam trains and a famous train was on the local Bluebell Railway when we were planning to go!’Hattie (right, front): ‘I loved the activities on offer: crate stacking, archery, low ropes and Aeroball. We also had fun playing in the woods in the evenings.’Alison: ‘We loved the freedom the woods gave the girls to explore without fear they might get lost or into trouble. We stayed in a hut and found the whole place really user-friendly for Leaders and girls. There are indoor activities and spaces to get together as a group if the weather is bad. It was great to have a range of instructor-led activities which gave the Leaders a chance to relax for an hour or so. We will definitely go back!’Inspired to give your girls a last-minute summer camp? Take a look at www.girlguiding.org.uk/activitycentres.

pyrography, an obstacle course, fairground games... We had a disco and we watched a film on Saturday night. There was also geocaching, zorbing, making paracord bracelets, outdoor cooking and karaoke.’Sophie (pictured): ‘My favourite was the rodeo reindeer – I stayed on for the second-longest time of the whole camp!’Alisha: ‘I really loved the sumo suits and the inflatables because they were so much fun and caused a lot of laughter. We also loved the atmosphere of

Chillfest and meeting everyone. Camping in the winter is great – we hope to camp in every season this year.

Super summer camps at our Activity CentresSARA WATT, LEADER, AND SIOBHAN, 8, 2nd RINGWOOD BROWNIES, HAMPSHIRE

Sara: ‘We camped with our Brownies for the first time at Foxlease. We chose it because it feels well protected, safe and easy. It’s a really lovely site and very practical for camping with a group of girls. We camped in our own tents and had access to toilets and a hut for indoor activities.’Siobhan (left): ‘I really loved staying in a tent with my friends. We also did

rafting and a crate challenge and we walked to the sweetshop in Lyndhurst! I bought some chewing gum and learned how to blow bubbles. I also learned some new songs around the campfire.’Sara: ‘We got to try out lots of activities. It rained once and we used our hut. My highlight was joining in a big campfire circle at night with everyone else camping there. It was such a great experience – I am always recommending Foxlease to other Leaders.’

THEIRWORLDEXPLORE

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Your voice


Two Advocates coming to the end of their terms share their amazing experiencesJULIA PETERS, 20, ASSISTANT LEADER WITH 3rd ASHBY BROWNIES AND PEER EDUCATOR

‘Being part of the Girlguiding Advocate team has taken me to big events like the Conservative Party Conference, Clothes Show Live and the Women of the World Festival, as well as to guiding events such as the County Commissioners’ conference and the launch of the Girls’ Attitudes

Survey. I’ve loved these events but I’ve also really enjoyed being able to speak to smaller groups of members about what Girlguiding Advocates do and how members can involve their units with resources like Girls Matter: Hear Our Voice.

‘I’ve had the opportunity to speak in front of hundreds of people and I’ve also realised that there are thousands more people who believe in the things that matter to me. I want to keep speaking up about issues like compulsory sex education and having positive female role models for girls.

‘I think it’s really important for girls and young women to have a voice because they are the only people who truly know what’s important to them and what affects their lives. We can’t rely on other

ISLA WHATELEY, 18, NORTH WEST DIVISION RANGERS (GLASGOW) AND LEADER WITH 176th CITY OF EDINBURGH BROWNIES

‘As a Girlguiding Advocate I’ve represented both Girlguiding at a UK level and Girlguiding Scotland at

various different events to do with politics, feminism and current affairs. I’ve attended an All-Party Parliamentary Group at the House of Lords, attended a Visible Women event for International Women’s Day, written articles for The Scotsman newspaper and various websites, interviewed Laura Bates, Founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, and much more. One of the biggest things I’ve done is represent Girlguiding on the Youth For Change panel, dedicated to ending female genital mutilation and child marriage, and I got to meet young education campaigner Malala Yousafzai at the Girl Summit event in July 2014!

‘I’ve achieved a lot from my experience as an Advocate. I’ve gained a lot of confidence, especially in networking and public speaking. I’ve also been made more aware of current affairs and issues faced by girls and young women in the UK and worldwide. And it has definitely shaped my degree choice at university (geography and social anthropology) and my future career plan – I’d like to do something related to development and social change.

‘It’s so important for young women to speak out about important issues that matter to us because if we don’t, then who will? Having a voice on these issues is something that other girls around the world don’t have, so we in the UK need to make the most of the tools we have to enact change and inspire others.’Find out more about being an Advocate at www.girlguiding.org.uk/advocate. And turn to page 44 for more about our Girls Matter campaign and how girls can change the world.

people to make the right decision when it comes to things that affect us – we need to speak up for ourselves.’

scouts.org.uk/sac

SCOUT ACTIVITYCENTRES

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Come and join us at our National Events – Fundays, Gilwell24, Wintercamp, Scarefest and Intense – all members of Girlguiding are welcome too!scouts.org.uk/sacevents

Did you know? You can also book various programmes and training courses which may also cover part of your badge requirements. See our Programme, Training and Event Guide for more information: scouts.org.uk/sacguides

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Your voice


‘Last year I organised Grantham Division’s event to celebrate The Big Brownie Birthday. So this year I wanted a little less work! But – as it was still crucial to give girls the adventure they love – we chose a PGL Brownie Exclusive Weekend.

‘My unit went with 2nd Bottesford Brownies, which has a new Leadership Team. The weekend – with full board, accommodation and activities all planned and included – was a good way for them to experience their first residential. PGL gave us the draft programme in advance with the option to make comments. But as it was so well balanced we didn’t change anything.

‘The 31 Brownies did abseiling, problem solving, zip wire, a challenge course, high ropes, orienteering, wacky

races, a giant Brownie relay – and even an indoor campfire (it was February!). The staff were really on the girls’ wavelength and helped them, even when nervous, to rise to any challenge. Leaders joined in too. PGL staff helped Tracey – a Leader who has a prosthetic leg – achieve her goal of abseiling. She said, “I can’t believe I did it! Wait until I tell my kids!”

‘The girls loved it too. Maria, 7, on her first trip away from

home, called it “really, really, really cool”; Jessica, 8, called it “epic”.

‘The PGL staff were really on the girls’ wavelength’ADELLE GLOSSOP, LEADER WITH 1st BOTTESFORD BROWNIES

‘It was great to see the girls grow in confidence in one weekend. As it was a Brownie Exclusive, it cemented the value of the girl-only space and the importance of girls being free to meet a challenge without the pressure of boys.

‘Everything was well organised too – Leaders didn’t have to think of anything during activity and meal times. We could relax and enjoy a coffee together in the knowledge that the girls were safe and having fun.’To find out more about adventures with PGL turn to page 48. And to plan your own trip, see www.pgl.co.uk/guiding.

‘The Trefoil Guild is definitely not just a retired Leaders’ club!’HILARY PARKER, LEADER WITH 4th ICKENHAM GUIDES AND BRIDGEWATER BOATERS TREFOIL GUILD MEMBER

‘I’m still a new member of the Trefoil Guild. Ours has only been going a little over a year now so we’re all still finding our Guild feet! The main focus of our Guild is narrowboating and we do at least one main cruise a year along the canals, as well as providing crew for Baden-Powell Adventures for Guides.

Find out more about the Trefoil Guild and the Voyage Award at www.trefoilguild.co.uk. And visit www.girlguidingshop.co.uk for a range of Trefoil Guild merchandise.

‘We’ve enjoyed non-narrowboat activities too, like meals out and a weekend away at Waddow Hall. That was a highlight for me – my first visit and I made my Trefoil Guild Promise there (it was wonderful to make it with the new Promise wording). We’re looking at some possible adventures abroad together as well! The great thing is there are a lot of Guilds out there and you can be a member of several, so there’s bound to be one that fits you and your interests.

‘Aside from formalising our narrowboat group, it’s been fantastic connecting with others through doing the Voyage Award (we have an online support group). It really opens your eyes to the variety of Trefoil Guild members there are – it’s definitely not just a retired Leaders’ club!’

Your voice


Our partners

Rolls-RoyceSupporting the Brownie Science investigator badge.

PGL TravelProviding activity courses and holidays for Girlguiding members and 13 exclusive events for Brownies in 2015.

Scotia Gas NetworksSupporting the Guide Active response badge and an online gas and carbon monoxide safety game for Brownies.

Unity Insurance ServicesProviding specialist insurance for Girlguiding members and units.

Sainsbury’s Active KidsProviding equipment and experiences to Girlguiding members to help get girls and young women of all ages and abilities more active.

Cotswold OutdoorSupporting the Guide Outdoor pursuits and the Brownie Out and about badges.

ThreeSupporting the Guide Communicator badge.

Find out more about our partners at www.girlguiding.org.uk/partners. And check out www.girlguiding.org.uk/benefits to discover all our great membership benefits and offers.

Girlguiding works with a number

of partners to give girls the best

possible opportunities to learn

and to develop their potential

Minifigs.meSupporting our work all over the UK by giving 10 per cent from the sale of guiding Minifigs to Girlguiding.

Clothes Show LiveProviding Girlguiding with the opportunity to speak to thousands of girls and women about body confidence and our range of volunteer opportunities.

Pets at HomeSupporting the Brownie Friend to animals badge and GFI! Animal active.

MorrisonsSupporting the Brownie Gardener badge.

Your voice


‘The two Cotswold Outdoor staff members really knew their stuff’KAREN MACLEOD, LEADER WITH 1st DYCE GUIDES

‘Our unit goes camping regularly, so we decided to visit the Cotswold Outdoor store in Union Square, Aberdeen, last year as a way of getting the Guides to think about the equipment they might need.

‘On the day, 14 Guides and two Leaders visited the store – and the Cotswold staff were excellent. They split the Guides into two groups. One group learned how to pitch a lightweight tent and the other group was shown how to pack a rucksack and how to use a Trangia stove. The groups then swapped over.

‘The two staff members were both very friendly towards the girls and really knew their stuff. The session was very hands-on and active, and the girls got to try everything themselves. They all really enjoyed the experience and were very excited to have learned so much that will stand them in good stead for our camps.’Cotswold Outdoor is Girlguiding’s Recommended Partner for the Outdoors. Local stores can provide kit talks and advice on outdoor adventure, as well as offering free meeting space and room in store for local guiding recruitment events. To find out more, contact the manager of your Cotswold Outdoor store or visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/cotswoldoutdoor.

‘In April I visited Pax Lodge with 1st Witchford Brownies and took part in the Pax Lodge Challenge and the Footsteps of Your Founders Challenge.

‘The first took us around London to complete a number of tasks. We had to use at least two modes of transport – we travelled by

boat and on foot, and used a grand total of 11 tube trains! We also had to take a picture of ourselves in the telephone box in the stairwell of Pax Lodge – a challenge to see how many Brownies we could fit in! We managed ten Brownies, a Guide and Benny the Bear (taken home by a different Brownie each week)!

‘Another part of the challenge was naming all five WAGGGS World Centres: Our Cabaña (Mexico), Sangam (India), Pax Lodge (London), the Fifth World Centre (which travels around Africa) and Our Chalet (Switzerland), which I visited in 2012 with my Guide unit. We also had to renew our Promises around Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. But, as Trafalgar Square was cordoned-off for an event, we found an alternative – a nearby Shaun the Sheep statue, decorated in the style of Nelson’s statue (complete with pigeon), one of 60 raising funds for Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Charity.

‘Our second challenge took us around London to learn about the history of Girlguiding – from Buckingham Palace where the 1st Buckingham Palace Guide Company was formed in 1937 when the Queen became a Guide, to the house of Lord Robert Baden-Powell.

‘I really enjoyed this trip as it gave me a deeper understanding of Girlguiding’s history and allowed me to visit my second World Centre – a great privilege in itself.’

‘We had to take a picture of ourselves in the telephone box in the stairwell of Pax Lodge’BETHANY DYSON, 13, 3rd ELY GUIDES AND BROWNIE HELPER WITH 1st WITCHFORD BROWNIES


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CAMPING

ACTIVITY CENTRESHOLIDAYS ABROAD

For more information visit www.deerparkcowley.com, or contact our onsite centre manager Sarah, Email [email protected] or telephone 01242 870284.

Camping

2 fields, variety pitches.

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For residential and day visitors with onsite archery, mountain biking, traversing wall, low ropes course, pistol shooting, tunnels course and more.

A 21 acre site managed by Girlguiding Gloucestershire is situated in the heart of the Cotswold countryside.

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ACTIVITY CENTRES

Brownsea Island

Planning a day visit or looking for somewhere to camp? Stay at the site where Baden-Powell held his experimental camp in 1907, or book our 24-bed lodge which is now open all year round. Activities include low ropes, archery, guiding heritage activities, watersports and more. See our website for events and prices.

01202 492161 nationaltrust.org.uk/brownsea-island

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Operated in Partnership with HCC, RBCand Blackwater Valley Scouts60 bed accommodation block

Admin block with meeting roomsIndoor shooting, archery and climbing

Climbing and abseil towerHigh and low ropes course

Paddle sports, caving + many other activities

Campfire circle and chapel siteShower and toilet block

Site shopCamping for 200 + many local attractions

Contact: Booking on

01252 344421 (9-5 M-F)E-mail: [email protected]

1 Forge Lane Aldershot Hampshire, GU11 2RE

Runway’s EndOutdoor Centre


Runway’s End Outdoor Centre, 1 Forge Lane, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 2RE

Book your adventure now: call 01590 623903 or go online at www.hants.gov.uk/runwaysend

Residential accommodation, plus indoor and outdoor camping

World class adventure activities in North Hampshire…













Runway’s End

RUNWAYS_GUIDING_SPR15.indd 122/01/2015 10:13

12 Day Tour of the North Island of New Zealand

March 2016 NZ$3895Additional Tour of the South

Island available.Travel through spectacular bushscenery, driving your own rail carthrough tunnels, rivers and over

farmland. Enjoy the Maori Culture,geysers and boiling mud, alongwith exotic beaches in the Bay

of Islands.This Tour has been organized in

conjunction with Girl GuidesNew Zealand.

Friends, partners and family welcome.

Email: Jennifer Mayer at: [email protected]

Or write to: PO Box 805, Taupo New Zealand

New Zealand Guides.indd 1 20/05/2015 10:20

023 8040 5151

Bursledon, Southampton.

CREATING GREAT EVERYDAY

ADVENTURE

Climb Speed!

ScramblePaddle

ClimbClimbStack

Get in touch with us:- 0114 246 [email protected] • hesleywood.org.uk

Hesley Wood, First for

adventurous activities in

South Yorkshire.(Meeting GirlGuiding regulatory standards)

Many options for indoor

accommodation and lots of

camping space. All set within 132 acres, providing

scope for everything!

GG Mag Advert 220515.indd 1 22/05/2015 13:10

*correct as of 22/5/2015

*


ADVENTURE

Climb Speed!

ScramblePaddle

ClimbClimbStack









GG Mag Advert 220515.indd 1 22/05/2015 13:10Hesley Wood_Guide_Sum_15.indd 1 22/05/2015 14:49




ACTIVITY CENTRES

Brownsea Island

Planning a day visit or looking for somewhere to camp? Stay at the site where Baden-Powell held his experimental camp in 1907, or book our 24-bed lodge which is now open all year round. Activities include low ropes, archery, guiding heritage activities, watersports and more. See our website for events and prices.

01202 492161 nationaltrust.org.uk/brownsea-island

© N

atio

nal T

rust

Imag

es. R

egis

tere

d C

hari

ty N

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.

Operated in Partnership with HCC, RBCand Blackwater Valley Scouts60 bed accommodation block

Admin block with meeting roomsIndoor shooting, archery and climbing

Climbing and abseil towerHigh and low ropes course

Paddle sports, caving + many other activities

Campfire circle and chapel siteShower and toilet block

Site shopCamping for 200 + many local attractions

Contact: Booking on

01252 344421 (9-5 M-F)E-mail: [email protected]

1 Forge Lane Aldershot Hampshire, GU11 2RE



















Runway’s End

RUNWAYS_GUIDING_SPR15.indd 122/01/2015 10:13

12 Day Tour of the North Island of New Zealand

March 2016 NZ$3895Additional Tour of the South

Island available.Travel through spectacular bushscenery, driving your own rail carthrough tunnels, rivers and over

farmland. Enjoy the Maori Culture,geysers and boiling mud, alongwith exotic beaches in the Bay

of Islands.This Tour has been organized in

conjunction with Girl GuidesNew Zealand.

Friends, partners and family welcome.

Email: Jennifer Mayer at: [email protected]

Or write to: PO Box 805, Taupo New Zealand

New Zealand Guides.indd 1 20/05/2015 10:20

023 8040 5151

Bursledon, Southampton.


ADVENTURE

Climb Speed!

ScramblePaddle

ClimbClimbStack









GG Mag Advert 220515.indd 1 22/05/2015 13:10

*correct as of 22/5/2015

*


ADVENTURE

Climb Speed!

ScramblePaddle

ClimbClimbStack









GG Mag Advert 220515.indd 1 22/05/2015 13:10Hesley Wood_Guide_Sum_15.indd 1 22/05/2015 14:49


Activities


WO

RDS:

Em

ma

Gra

y-Co

rnel

l

Things to make and do for all sectionsThis summer be inspired to make guiding the very best that it can be

Being our bestGirlguiding’s plan for the next five years is now launched, and by 2020 we will empower

more girls to find their voice and be their best through high-quality, girl-led programmes

delivered by inspirational Leaders. These four pages of activities will explore elements of

our core values – Inspiring, Inclusive, Empowering, Challenging, Fun and Caring.

Inspiring: Wall of changeChallenge older girls and young women to think about various ways in which they can change our world for the better.

What you need

+ Paper cut into brick shapes, at least one piece for each girl

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+ Pencils and pens + Sticky tape

What to do

1. In small groups, discuss different ways in which we can help make our communities or the world better.

2. Each girl should pick one idea that means something to her, and then write or draw it on one of the paper ‘bricks’.

3. When each group has finished, they should present their ‘bricks’ to the other groups and stick

them all together to make a wall of change.

4. Ask the girls to reflect on the statement: ‘If we come together and do one thing each, we can change the world.’ What do they think this means? Challenge the girls to identify what one thing they need to change to get started on their ideas. How can they implement this change?

5. Finally, ask the girls to make a start on putting their plan into action and carrying it out.








one minute to speak and decide on a non-verbal way of communicating, such as hand gestures. Then ask them to begin playing in silence.

4. Allow them a couple of minutes to get into the game before tapping one person from each group on the shoulder (ideally the person who is taking an active or leading role). Walk them to one of the other groups without speaking. Each group will now have a new member.

5. After a few more minutes, swap another person around. Do this a few more times until each group is made up of approximately half the original members and half new members.

6. Let the games continue for another couple of minutes and then shout ‘Change!’. The groups must start playing their second game – without speaking.

7. After a few minutes of playing the second game, call them back together as a group.

Activities

8. Ask the groups some questions. Did the girls who joined a new group feel excluded? What methods did the groups use to try and include everyone? How hard did they find the activity?

9. Discuss how they can make their unit more inclusive to all. Did the groups accommodate new members? What does it feel like to be on the outside? How much that happens in meetings is built on an assumption that everyone understands guiding? What can we learn from this activity about building inclusive groups?

10. Together, draw up an action plan to detail how your unit will become more inclusive in the future. Over the next few terms, keep referring back to your plan to check whether you are using any of the ideas.

Take it furtherNext time you review your Unit Guidelines, why not base them on the plan you have created?

Inclusive: What is ‘inclusion’?Try this game with Brownies, Guides or The Senior Section to see if your girls understand what it means to be inclusive to all.

What you need

+ Pens + White paper

What to do

1. Divide the unit into small groups of up to eight and space them out around the room.

2. Explain that each group has to come up with two different games – they can be either active or sitting-down games.

3. Ask all the groups to begin playing their first game. After a short while, pause the games and explain that from now on they must play in silence. Give them

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one minute to speak and decide on a non-verbal way of communicating, such as hand gestures. Then ask them to begin playing in silence.

4. Allow them a couple of minutes to get into the game before tapping one person from each group on the shoulder (ideally the person who is taking an active or leading role). Walk them to one of the other groups without speaking. Each group will now have a new member.

5. After a few more minutes, swap another person around. Do this a few more times until each group is made up of approximately half the original members and half new members.

6. Let the games continue for another couple of minutes and then shout ‘Change!’. The groups must start playing their second game – without speaking.

7. After a few minutes of playing the second game, call them back together as a group.

Activities

8. Ask the groups some questions. Did the girls who joined a new group feel excluded? What methods did the groups use to try and include everyone? How hard did they find the activity?

9. Discuss how they can make their unit more inclusive to all. Did the groups accommodate new members? What does it feel like to be on the outside? How much that happens in meetings is built on an assumption that everyone understands guiding? What can we learn from this activity about building inclusive groups?

10. Together, draw up an action plan to detail how your unit will become more inclusive in the future. Over the next few terms, keep referring back to your plan to check whether you are using any of the ideas.

Take it furtherNext time you review your Unit Guidelines, why not base them on the plan you have created?

Inclusive: What is ‘inclusion’?Try this game with Brownies, Guides or The Senior Section to see if your girls understand what it means to be inclusive to all.

What you need

+ Pens + White paper

What to do

1. Divide the unit into small groups of up to eight and space them out around the room.

2. Explain that each group has to come up with two different games – they can be either active or sitting-down games.

3. Ask all the groups to begin playing their first game. After a short while, pause the games and explain that from now on they must play in silence. Give them

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PHOT

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Caring: Got your back! This game helps girls of all ages develop a group feeling of caring for each other and working together.

What you need

+ A ball

What to do

1. The girls stand in a circle with one person in the middle. Choose

Empowering: Being a girlWhat does it mean to be a girl? Challenge girls from all sections to consider what being a girl is all about.

What you need

+ Star template + Paper or card + Pens + Scissors

What to do

1. In small groups, get the girls to draw and cut out a large star each.

2. Encourage the groups to share positive thoughts about what it means to be a girl.

3. Rainbows: Get them to write, with help if necessary, their thoughts on being a girl on one side of their star. On the other side, they should list or draw all the fun things a girl can do. Brownies: Ask them to write their thoughts on being a girl on one side of the star. On the other side, ask them to write or draw

mean to be a girl today? How has this changed over the last 50 or 100 years? How would you like it to change in future? Ask them to write their answers on their stars.

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a ‘protector’ to guard her from the rest of the group.

2. Girls in the circle roll the ball towards the one in the centre. If she is hit below the knee, she joins the circle. The ‘protector’ then moves to the centre of the circle and the person who rolled the ball then becomes the new protector.

3. Keep going until everyone has had a turn. Afterwards, ask how it felt to protect someone and to be protected. How many girls felt cared for when they were in the centre of the circle?

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around the world encounter. Encourage Guides to take a look at Go For It! Breaking Barriers to explore the barriers that girls face to achieving their full potential.

+ Using the list of words and ideas written on their stars, ask the girls to create an advert that they can show to another unit or section. They could do this on paper or try creating a video or stop-motion animation instead. Look online for inspiring campaigns such as those from Sport England (‘This Girl Can’) and Always (‘Like a Girl’).

what it will mean to be a woman when they are grown up. Guides and The Senior Section: Ask your girls to answer the following questions. What does it







Activities


Challenging: I see, you seeOur members said they wanted activities that were challenging – and not just physical challenges! Guides and members of The Senior Section can challenge each other’s perceptions with this activity.

What you need

+ Pens + Paper + Camera or cameraphone + Printer (optional)

What to do

1. Split the unit into small groups of four or five girls. One girl from each group is the photographer. Give her a theme to interpret using the other team members’ bodies and facial expressions – but without telling them what it

is. Themes could include: the family, education, immigration, labour and unemployment, violence/crime, poverty, racism and so on. Consider the age and maturity of the girls when choosing suitable themes, and ensure that everyone is comfortable with this activity.

2. The photographer needs to move the bodies of her group into the positions she wants, and, using her hands, carefully move their faces to reflect the emotions required. Those being photographed must stay silent.

3. When the photographer is happy, she can take a picture. She then swaps places with another member of the group. The new photographer learns the theme and moves the members around

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plus 30-45 min

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Fun: Houdini rope trick See how much fun girls of all ages can have as they try to escape from this trick.

What you need

+ String + Scissors

What to do

1. Cut a piece of string about 75cm long for each girl. Ask girls to form pairs.

2. One girl ties her string from one wrist to the other, not too tightly. Her partner passes her own string

under the first girl’s string, so that the two strings are interlinked and cannot be separated, and then loosely ties the ends to her own wrists. Younger members may need help with this part.

3. Challenge the girls to release themselves from each other however they like without actually untying the knots.

4. After an agreed time, stop the activity. You can then either reveal the solution or let it remain a mystery for another time!

The solution: One girl makes a U-shaped loop at the centre of her string and passes it through the loop around her partner’s wrist, going from elbow to fingertips. Slip the loop over her hand and they’re free!

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Find out moreTo learn all about ‘Being our best’ and Girlguiding’s plans for the next five years, take a look at new.girlguiding.org.uk.

to form her own interpretation of it, then takes a picture. Each team member should have the opportunity to be the photographer.

4. The following week, ask the girls to look at the pictures. Do they notice any similarities or differences between pictures on the same theme? Why do they think this is? What does this tell us about perception?









Activities


Welcome to guiding!

Let’s connect!Having something in common with others helps new members of all ages to feel that they are a part of the unit. And for this activity, there’s no equipment needed!

What to do

1. One girl starts by saying something about herself, such as: ‘I have earned the Healthy heart badge’, ‘I love horse riding’, ‘I am good at listening’.

Put out the welcome mat!New Rainbows can create a special place mat to help them keep all their things tidy.

Part of Growing Guiding is to provide a warm welcome to those who are thinking about joining us.

Those who enjoy their first meeting and are made to feel special and welcome are more likely to

want to come back. Try some of these activities to help new members find their place and settle in

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Top tipBreak your unit into smaller groups to avoid the game losing pace and to ensure the girls don’t get restless.

2. Everyone else who has this in common with her should raise their hand and say ‘Connect!’. The first girl to raise her hand links arms with the girl who spoke. Then she should say something different about herself and see who connects to her.

3. Once everyone is connected, ask the girls how they felt about the game. Did they know these facts about others already, or have they made new connections? See if they can do it again but connecting with different people this time.

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What you need

+ A4 paper with the Promise printed on (one per Rainbow)

+ Pens + Laminator and laminating

pouches or A4 plastic pockets

What to do

1. Give each girl a sheet with the Promise written on it. She should

add her name and decorate the sheet with pictures of the fun things she’d like to do at Rainbows.

2. Laminate the mat according to the instructions on the box, or slip it into a plastic pocket. Rainbows can use their mats at every meeting to keep crafts, activities and letters home in one place.

SafetyTake care when using a laminator in the meeting place. Do not leave it unattended while it is still hot, even if it has been unplugged. Remember to add it to your risk assessment for the meeting.

i

Activities


Make yourself at homeIs your meeting place welcoming? What might make new members feel more at home? This activity will help girls from all sections to identify how they can be welcoming as a unit and make their meeting place appear more inviting.

People who…It can be quite scary for a new Rainbow or Brownie to take that first step on their guiding journey. Help new members feel part of the group with this quick game (no equipment needed) to show them what they have in common with the other girls in the unit.

What to do

1. Ask the girls to form a circle. 2. Choose one girl to stand in the

middle of the circle. She calls out: ‘Change places, people who…’, and fills in the blank. Suggestions could include ‘like camping’, ‘eat cereal for breakfast’, ‘love Brownies’.

3. Anyone who falls into that category must change places with another person in the circle to whom the statement also applies.

What you need

+ Pens + Paper

What to do

1. In small groups, ask your unit to think of different ways of welcoming new members to their meeting. Ask them to write down or draw their ideas and share them with the rest of the unit.

2. In a circle, ask the girls questions about their ideas. What could we do in our Sixes/Patrols/small

groups to encourage girls to stay? Do we use words that new members won’t understand? How could we describe things so new members will know what we mean? Is there anything we could do to make the meeting place look more inviting?

3. As a group, decide on what you want to do to make your meeting more welcoming.

4. Put your plan into action for the next time you have new members joining your unit.

The girl who is in the middle of the circle must try to find an empty place.

4. The girl who is left in the middle makes the next statement.

SafetyWhen someone new visits your unit, get their parent or carer to complete an Information and Consent for Event/Activity form so you have their contact details in an emergency.

i

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5. At the end of the game, ask if any of the girls have found out something that they didn’t know about another girl in the unit.

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Activities


Take ten!Ten minutes to spare? Get your unit to try one of these quick fun games – you could even do it

outside as the weather is warmer and the long summer evenings are here

Following suitAn observation game for all ages!

What you need

+ Chairs + Pack of cards (you may need two

for large units)

What to do

1. Ask the girls to sit on chairs in a circle. Give each girl a different card from a normal deck of cards.

2. Shuffle the rest of the deck and pull a card from the top. Show the girls what is on it, but do not call out the suit being shown. If a girl has a card with the same suit as the one being shown, she will need to move one chair to the left. If there isn’t a spare chair she must sit on the person next to her.

3. Draw another card and repeat. All girls whose suit is shown must move regardless of anyone sitting on them or under them.

4. The girls continue to move around the circle until they get back to their original chair.

Pass the squeezeNon-verbal communication is a great skill to practise. Girls of all ages can explore teamwork without speaking in this fun game.

What you need

+ Table + Small flag on a stick + Plastic cup

What to do

1. Separate the group into two even teams. Each team stands in a line, holding hands. Opposing teams should be facing each other.

2. At one end of the two teams, set up a table and on the table place a flag standing upright in a plastic cup.

3. Go and stand at the other end of the two teams, opposite the table and flag.

4. When you call out ‘Go!’, the team members begin to squeeze their neighbour’s hand, one-by-one, starting at the end by you and continuing until the hand-squeeze reaches the other end of the line.

5. When the last person’s hand is squeezed, she grabs the flag. The two teams race to see which one will grab the flag first.

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Take it furtherWhy not challenge your group to come up with other non-verbal communication methods to use in the race for the flag? For instance, they could wink, stick their tongue out or tap their toes.

Activities


Blowing in the windPlay this fun game with all sections as a warm-up.

What you need

+ 8 pieces of paper + Pen

What to do

1. Lay out the pieces of paper around the meeting space at the eight main points of the compass. Write ‘N’ on the piece that shows north. For Rainbow and Brownie groups, label the rest of the pieces of paper with the other points of the compass. Do not label the other papers for Guides and The Senior Section.

2. One person is chosen as the Wind, two as Sharks, and the rest are Yachts. The Wind calls out a direction and the Yachts have to sail in the direction in which they are being blown – ie in the opposite direction to the one called out. Girls can choose a different sailing method for each crossing, such as walking, running or skipping. They also need to avoid the Sharks, otherwise they could end up as shark bait. The Sharks have to catch any Yachts who sail too close to them or sail in the wrong direction. The last Yacht left in the game wins.

Join the circleThis moment of reflection can really help girls of all ages to learn to think more deeply about their feelings and experiences.

Everyone forms a circle and says one word that describes how they feel at that moment. Alternatively, they can say what they learned that day or share a thought they would like to leave with the group.

Participants can go in order or at random. After everyone has said their word, take a moment of silence to reflect on what everyone has said.

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Take it furtherFor further ideas on reflective ends to meetings why not look at Senses (£7, order code 6309)? See page 3 for how to order.

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The Promise and Law‘Being true to myself’ involves understanding who we are and the paths we want to travel down.

Try these activities with your unit to help them learn more about what it means to be themselves

My strengthsThis activity will help Guides and The Senior Section to appreciate their own particular strengths and how each aspect of their character makes them ‘them’. Understanding themselves will make it easier to keep their Promise ‘to be true to myself’.

What you need

+ 10 strips of paper per girl (or use sticky notes)

+ Pens + Stapler, sticky tape or glue (optional)

What to do

1. Hand out ten strips of paper to each girl.

2. Ask the girls to write one of their strengths or personality traits on each slip – characteristics they

Pat on the backThis activity for Rainbows and Brownies promotes self-esteem, which is linked to being true to ourselves and having the courage to speak up.

What you need

+ Paper plates + Pens + Sticky tape + Sticky notes with comments on

(optional)

What to do

1. Each girl draws around her hand

on a paper plate. The plate is then taped to her back.

2. Everyone in the group writes a positive comment about the person on her plate. The comments do not have to be signed. Try to get the girls to think about more than just what other people look like. (For Rainbows, you could pre-prepare comments and write them on sticky notes which girls can stick to the paper plates.)

3. Once everyone is finished, girls remove the plates from their backs and read the comments that have been made about them. Ask if anyone would like to share what is on hers.

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Take it furtherLink the slips together to form personal paper chains that girls can take home to remind them of all the important strengths they can be proud of.

feel describe them, such as ‘reliable’, ‘friendly’, ‘confident’ or ‘good at maths’.

3. Next, girls should place their characteristics in order of what is important to them. Once this is done they can share their lists with the group and discuss how they would be different without particular character traits. Is there

one that each girl could lose and still be ‘herself’?

Take it furtherLook at Roundabout All About Me (£7.50, code 6172) for more Rainbow activity ideas. See page 3 for ways to order.

Activities


From the heartBeing true to ourselves means that we have to understand our background, what makes us tick and who we really are. Try this activity with Brownies, Guides and The Senior Section to see what insights you get from the girls into what they think ‘to be true to myself’ means.

What you need

+ A large piece of paper per girl + Pencils + Colouring pencils, pens or paint + Old magazines, craft materials etc

What to do

1. Give the girls a piece of paper each and explain that they are going to draw a heart map. Ask them to draw the largest heart they can on the paper.

2. Starting from the centre and working their way outwards, get the girls to create a map within their heart that shows all the things that make them who they are. For instance, they could include pictures of their family and friends, pets, heroes, books and music they like. They can use any creative ideas they want: writing meaningful words, drawing pictures, using photographs or craft materials. The following questions might help girls think about the pictures or words that mean the most to them.

+ What people have been important

to you, and why? + What experiences or events will

you never forget? + What happy or sad memories do

you have? + What things or objects are

important to you – for example, a tree in your garden or a special cuddly toy?

+ Could you use different colours to represent different emotions, events and relationships?

3. If they would like to share their hearts, ask those who are happy to do so to stand up and talk about what they think it means to be true to themselves.

4. Girls should take their hearts home and find somewhere to display them. Looking at their hearts will remind them to be true to themselves.

15

MINUTES

10

MINUTES

25

MINUTES

20

MINUTES

5

MINUTES 1 HOUR

1 O

R 2 MEETING

S

2

MEETINGS

1 DA

Y OR MORE

30

MINUTES 45

MINUTES

1

MEETING 3

MONTHS

Try it this wayThe heart map could also represent where a girl’s beliefs have come from. The journey through the heart would show pictures of those things that have helped in developing her beliefs, such as friends, family and school. The final part could show what she believes now.

Activities


From the heartBeing true to ourselves means that we have to understand our background, what makes us tick and who we really are. Try this activity with Brownies, Guides and The Senior Section to see what insights you get from the girls into what they think ‘to be true to myself’ means.

What you need

+ A large piece of paper per girl + Pencils + Colouring pencils, pens or paint + Old magazines, craft materials etc

What to do

1. Give the girls a piece of paper each and explain that they are going to draw a heart map. Ask them to draw the largest heart they can on the paper.

2. Starting from the centre and working their way outwards, get the girls to create a map within their heart that shows all the things that make them who they are. For instance, they could include pictures of their family and friends, pets, heroes, books and music they like. They can use any creative ideas they want: writing meaningful words, drawing pictures, using photographs or craft materials. The following questions might help girls think about the pictures or words that mean the most to them.

+ What people have been important

to you, and why? + What experiences or events will

you never forget? + What happy or sad memories do

you have? + What things or objects are

important to you – for example, a tree in your garden or a special cuddly toy?

+ Could you use different colours to represent different emotions, events and relationships?

3. If they would like to share their hearts, ask those who are happy to do so to stand up and talk about what they think it means to be true to themselves.

4. Girls should take their hearts home and find somewhere to display them. Looking at their hearts will remind them to be true to themselves.

15

MINUTES

10

MINUTES

25

MINUTES

20

MINUTES

5

MINUTES 1 HOUR

1 O

R 2 MEETING

S

2

MEETINGS

1 DA

Y OR MORE

30

MINUTES 45

MINUTES

1

MEETING 3

MONTHS

Try it this wayThe heart map could also represent where a girl’s beliefs have come from. The journey through the heart would show pictures of those things that have helped in developing her beliefs, such as friends, family and school. The final part could show what she believes now.

Activities


Promise puzzlesUse this activity to help Rainbows and Brownies understand the different ways in which they can keep their Promise wherever they go.

What you need

+ Paper or card in different colours + Pens and pencils + Rulers + Scissors

What to do

1. During a Rainbow Chat or a Brownie Pow-wow, talk together about the different ways in which the girls could all keep their Promise. Encourage them to think of different places where they could keep it, beyond their meeting place. Who could they help? Make a central list that the girls can refer back to if needed.

2. Give each girl a piece of card and ask them to draw a jigsaw puzzle on it. To do this, ask the girls to divide their card into squares using a ruler and pencil. They can then add as many tabs as they wish. Rainbows may want to

divide the card into only four or six jigsaw pieces, while the Brownies could aim for eight to ten pieces.

3. The girls will then need to cut along their jigsaw lines very carefully. Ensure you have adequate adult supervision for this stage.

4. Once all the pieces have been cut out, the girls can decorate each piece with a different way of

keeping their Promise. 5. As they complete the drawings or

words on each jigsaw piece, they can fit it with the rest. When they have completed their own jigsaw they can swap it with a friend and complete the one given to them.

6. Ask the girls to discuss the pictures and explain how the actions in them show how they are keeping their Promise.

15

MINUTES

10

MINUTES

25

MINUTES

20

MINUTES

5

MINUTES 1 HOUR

1 O

R 2 MEETING

S

2

MEETINGS

1 DA

Y OR MORE

30

MINUTES 45

MINUTES

1

MEETING 3

MONTHS

Published by: Girlguiding, 17–19 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0PT.Tel: 020 7834 6242 Fax: 020 7828 8317. www.girlguiding.org.uk.

Patron: HM The Queen. President: HRH The Countess of Wessex. Chief Guide: Gill Slocombe.

EDITORIALEditor: Jane Yettram.Deputy Editor: Jessica Feehan.Editorial: Alison Griffiths, Nithya Rae.

Editorial enquiries: [email protected].

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Girlguiding takes no responsibility for statements made in any advertisement or from any matter arising whatsoever. Readers should be aware that guiding magazine is not in a position to investigate the goods or services advertised in the inserts included in the magazine, and the inclusion of the inserts is not to be taken as an endorsement by guiding magazine of the goods and services advertised. The inclusion of any advertisement should not be taken as an indication that the goods or services concerned have been investigated or approved. Responsibility for the failure of any advertiser to fulfil his or her obligations to customers gained from an advertisement or insert in guiding magazine cannot, and will not, be accepted by Girlguiding or guiding magazine.

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request your copy NOW!Celebrating 41 years 1974-2015

Some of our SEASONAL favourites!

See our FULL range at www.bakerross.co.uk

Over 2,000 GREAT VALUE Crafts, Toys & Fundraisers!

Supplying guiding groups since 1974

“Easy to use

website, prices

that are affordable,

quick delivery.”

Mrs A Foster, Barnsley

FREE Cataloguerequest your copy NOW!

FREE Catalogue

Ceramic GnomesAF428

Summer Card & Paper Value Pack EV100

Monster Cushion Sewing KitsAF452

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£2.85 PER PACKPeppa Pig TombolaTPE

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Simply quote this code

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