Saying thank you
The chief guide team thank you for your commitment to guiding and reflect on what they’ve been doing in the past year
Since the start of the pandemic, it’s been a difficult and challenging time. For many, Girlguiding has been a solace and something to look forward to. We know not everyone was able to meet, but those of you who could, adapted to a different way of doing things. Now, things are looking a bit brighter, with more of you meeting face-to-face.
This is also true for the chief guide team who, like many of you, tried a new way of guiding by moving online. We spoke to them about their reflections on the past year, the excitement of meeting their units face-to-face again, and their thank you to volunteers.
Chief Guide, Amanda
Chief Guide, Amanda
The last year wasn’t what we planned or expected. The impact of the pandemic has been different for everyone, and it’s been hard. But I hope you’ve been able to find some positive moments. For me, it’s the way we’ve all worked together to keep guiding going and the different ways we’ve adapted to continue giving girls the chance to meet with their friends and have fun.
A personal highlight as chief guide was visiting units virtually all over the UK and dropping into many more than I’d be able to manage in person. We've seen lots of creative adaptions of activity favourites like craft, baking, first aid, scavenger hunts and laughing yoga, and so many badges have been achieved.
There are exciting times ahead as we rebuild and restart guiding. I’ve zoomed with my Guides since last spring and we’re now meeting regularly in-person. It’s been great to get back and see the girls enjoying spending time together. Like many of you, our unit had a fall in numbers. So, when we went back to face-to-face meetings, I said the Guides could bring along a friend and we now have seven new girls in our unit which is fantastic.
Looking back at the past year, there’s been a huge effort across the organisation to keep people connected. In many ways, we’re closer than before, with initiatives like the commissioner and member calls bringing us together. I want to thank you for staying with us, whether you’ve been able to meet or not. Most of all I want to say thank you, to you, for all your effort and dedication to guiding.
“Thank you, to you, for all your effort and dedication to guiding”
Deputy Chief Guide, Julie
Deputy Chief Guide, Julie
“Through the opportunities we offer it's clear Girlguiding is 100% relevant.”
It’s been a busy year as we’ve adapted to guiding online and changing restrictions. Throughout all this, our goal remains the same, to provide girls and young women with a fun-filled experience. A key part of last year in my deputy chief guide role was focused on a safe space, like many volunteers at all levels. I also made online visits to different units across the UK where it was wonderful to see virtual guiding in action. There have been amazing events taking place - campfires, British Guiding Overseas' virtual festival involving people around the world, sleepovers, and camps. We're so impressed with all those who’ve helped make these things happen. We’ve shown how agile we can be and have proven we can achieve anything we want to when we work together. Like Amanda, I zoomed with my Guide and Ranger units until we managed to meet in-person last autumn. After the winter lockdown, we started meeting face-to-face again in April which was exciting. One positive has been maintaining the numbers in my Guide unit while our Ranger unit has doubled in size to 21 girls through encouraging them to bring friends along. During this time, I’m proud of how we’ve been compassionate and caring to our communities and our fellow volunteers through actions like members creating care bags, sending notes to those who might be shielding and doing random acts of kindness. Through the opportunities we continue to offer girls and young women across the country, it’s clear Girlguiding is 100% relevant. Despite the challenges, we’ve shown we can achieve great things between us and that’s thanks to your efforts.
Assistant Chief Guide, Emma
Assistant Chief Guide, Emma
Although I couldn't get out and about to see people and attend events and meetings in person, it was a very busy year! As assistant chief guide, my focus was working with volunteers and staff from across Girlguiding to support members to take guiding online and, when possible, face-to-face.
I’m also a Ranger leader and we met on zoom, joining another Ranger unit who had very quickly got up and running online. I appreciated having the additional support and it’s been brilliant for the girls because they’ve had more varied and regular online meetings. When we could meet face-to-face our venue was available and the other unit’s wasn't, so we’ve shared our opportunities and resources. It’s been a challenging period for all of us but I’m proud how so many areas of our community have pulled together, adapted, and tried something new. We’re probably all more connected than ever before. I've met so many fantastic leaders and seen hundreds of girls having the best time with online guiding. It has been amazing to zoom into peoples' homes and join meetings I never otherwise would have. I joined a Saturday morning online Rainbows meeting which was different to our usual evening meetings and great to see the girls having fun. It was also brilliant to see students and others who live away from their hometown joining meetings with their home units.
I want to thank you, for all you do to support girls and young women. Thank you for your time, your passion, your creativity. Thank you for sticking with us. Girls and young women need us now, perhaps more than ever; we're all a very important part of that.
For all you need to plan your meetings, take a look at our guidance for indoor, outdoor and online meetings as well as ideas for adapting programme activities.
“I'm proud how so many areas of our community have pulled together.”
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