Your passion projects
Meet our volunteer adventure specialists
Illustrations by Stella Isaac
Our wonderful members have lots of fascinating hobbies.
We want to hear all about them, so in each issue we’re featuring Girlguiding members with special interests or talents.
Today we’re chatting to four of our volunteer national outdoor adventure specialists about their passions for walking, kayaking, climbing and survival adventures – all activities you can try out this winter.
From archery to axe throwing, sailing to scuba-diving, Girlguiding offers so many opportunities for young members (and leaders!) to try out amazing adventures. The benefits of taking part are huge – increased fitness and improved confidence, teamworking and leadership skills are just a few.
Our team of volunteer national outdoor activity specialists work hard to help girls and volunteers across the country access a whole range of exciting pursuits. Below, four specialists tell us about their favourite adventurous activity, and how you and your unit can get started with it.
Our team of volunteer national outdoor activity specialists work hard to help girls and volunteers across the country access a whole range of exciting pursuits. Below, four specialists tell us about their favourite adventurous activity, and how you and your unit can get started with it.
Ruth Bint, national walking specialist
Hi Ruth, tell us about yourself! What’s your role in Girlguiding and how long have you been with us?
I joined Girlguiding as a Brownie and have never left! Girlguiding has given me fun, friendship and many amazing opportunities and adventures over the years.
This year I became Girlguiding’s national walking specialist. I support regional advisers, help to organise national walking events, do walking training and more. It’s really rewarding to help adults and young members develop their walking skills and grow in confidence.
What do you love about walking?
I love the outdoors. Walking is an opportunity to enjoy being outside and to get away from day-to-day life, think and explore. It’s a space to be calm and just enjoy nature.
Being outdoors in nature also has so many benefits to our health and wellbeing. It provides inspiration for many adventures.
What’s the best walk you’ve ever done?
In 2010 my husband and I went to Everest Base Camp. That was an amazing adventure. It was Girlguiding’s centenary year, and I took a commemorative Girlguiding duck and snapped photos of it on the journey!
If a unit is keen to do some walking, how can Girlguiding help?
Walking should be open to everyone and we want to make sure that members can safely enjoy walking at whatever level they aspire to, from local rambles to climbing mountains. Get in touch with your local walking adviser to get started – you can ask your commissioner to put you in touch if you're not sure who that is.
Anne-Marie Smith, national sport specialist
Thanks for chatting to us Anne-Marie! How are you involved with Girlguiding?
I volunteer as the national sport specialist for Girlguiding, and I also work as an outdoor education teacher in my day job. So my whole life is taking children out on outdoor adventures! I enjoy paddleboarding and kayaking the most though. I’m a Brownie, Guide and Ranger leader in East Yorkshire too.
Why do you love paddleboarding and kayaking?
They’re peaceful and relaxing, but still an adventure. I love getting out on a still lake. You can go in lots of directions – you can take yourself off to different parts, stop for dinner, go from bay to bay, be on a different beach within five minutes. Paddleboarding is fun because half the time you end up falling in the water!
How can leaders get their girls involved in kayaking or paddleboarding? Is it something they could do during the winter?
Paddleboarding has taken off massively in the past few years. There are lots of clubs around where you can do both it and kayaking. And it’s fairly cheap – boards tend to be about £5 an hour to rent.
Lots of leisure centres offer kayaking and paddleboarding taster sessions in an indoor pool to get started, which is great for winter. Outdoor water sports centres also offer taster sessions. All you need in winter is a good wetsuit, which you’ll be able to hire cheaply. Contact your local water sports centre to get started!
Georgina Barrett, climbing enthusiast and deputy national walking specialist
Hello Georgina – can you tell us how you’re involved with Girlguiding? How long have you been with us?
I started out as a Guide, and became a Ranger and young leader. Then I was a Brownie and Ranger leader in London. But as work got busier – I’m an archaeologist – I found being a leader didn’t work with my lifestyle. So I decided to look at other ways to volunteer, and became deputy national walking specialist.
Walking and climbing are my two passions. I’m a qualified climbing instructor, and support Guides and Rangers with climbing alongside walking.
What is it about climbing that you love?
It’s great exercise – it helps make me feel good. There’s also a problem-solving aspect and technicality to it that I really enjoy, working out what to do next to get up the rocks or wall. You don’t need to be the strongest or the fastest to be a good climber – your problem-solving skills are important too.
Why is climbing a good winter activity?
You can do it indoors and outdoors. A lot of people start climbing indoors. Climbing has become more and more popular, and there are climbing gyms everywhere now. So it’s an easy activity to do in the depths of winter.
How can leaders and girls give climbing a try?
Reach out within your district, division or county to see if anyone with the right qualification can run a session for you. Or alternatively a lot of climbing centres will be able to help too.
Georgina's photos were taken by Callum Molloy.
Georgina Barrett, climbing enthusiast and deputy national walking specialist
Hello Georgina – can you tell us how you’re involved with Girlguiding? How long have you been with us?
I started out as a Guide, and became a Ranger and young leader. Then I was a Brownie and Ranger leader in London. But as work got busier – I’m an archaeologist – I found being a leader didn’t work with my lifestyle. So I decided to look at other ways to volunteer, and became deputy national walking specialist.
Walking and climbing are my two passions. I’m a qualified climbing instructor, and support Guides and Rangers with climbing alongside walking.
What is it about climbing that you love?
It’s great exercise – it helps make me feel good. There’s also a problem-solving aspect and technicality to it that I really enjoy, working out what to do next to get up the rocks or wall. You don’t need to be the strongest or the fastest to be a good climber – your problem-solving skills are important too.
Why is climbing a good winter activity?
You can do it indoors and outdoors. A lot of people start climbing indoors. Climbing has become more and more popular, and there are climbing gyms everywhere now. So it’s an easy activity to do in the depths of winter.
How can leaders and girls give climbing a try?
Reach out within your district, division or county to see if anyone with the right qualification can run a session for you. Or alternatively a lot of climbing centres will be able to help too.
Georgina's photos were taken by Callum Molloy.
Bex Bockett-Pugh, lead volunteer for the national outdoor team
Hello Bex! Can you tell us about yourself and how you’re involved in Girlguiding?
I joined as a Rainbow in 1991 and I’ve been with Girlguiding ever since. I’m now a Ranger leader, and have led Guides and Brownies too. I’m also lead volunteer for Girlguiding’s national outdoor team, supporting our volunteer specialists like Ruth, Annie-Marie and Georgina to help members take part in everything from snow sports to climbing.
What sparked your interest in survival activities and adventures?
Five years ago, I was working full time as a civil servant. I had just set up my own business and I was very active in guiding. But then I started experiencing pain and exhaustion, to the point I couldn’t get out of bed. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition that causes pain all over the body. I also lost my hearing following a bad ear infection. I now wear hearing aids.
For a couple of years I had to give up nearly everything, including my job. The only thing I kept going with was guiding, because I had a good, supportive team around me. I only started to improve after seeing a nutritionist. Within three days I was symptom-free. Since then I’ve grabbed life by the horns and tried to have as many adventures as possible.
What adventures have you been on?
My biggest adventure was spending three days in the Arctic Circle in April this year, organised through the British Legion. We camped in a tent and natural-built shelter for the first two nights, then in a snow hole on the third night. Once we left the tent, we were constantly outside in -20°C temperatures. We survived on ration packs, and we had to chop down trees for firewood.
I’ve just come back from a trip to Peru with a group of Girlguiding leaders to build connections and network. And next summer I’m going to the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea to represent Girlguiding.
What would you say to encourage others to take on challenges like you have?
For a long time I had so much fear of doing anything. I have lots of regrets about not seizing opportunities when I was younger. If you have an opportunity, take it and ask questions later. There are so many exciting things we can do within Girlguiding. Fear will always be there, but what’s the worst that can happen?
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