My biggest challenge
This year has been challenging for all of us. We’ve had to adjust to being in a pandemic and we know many of you have been juggling commitments with family, work, or running guiding meetings when you’ve felt able to, as well as trying to look after your own wellbeing.
We spoke to some volunteers about the challenges they’ve faced over the past year, their advice on how to navigate them and what to do when things don’t always go to plan, both online and in real-life!
Rosalind Morcombe felt 'overwhelmed' at the start of the pandemic
Feeling overwhelmed
Rosalind Morcombe is the District Commissioner for Girlguiding Moira and a member of the training team in Girlguiding Ulster at country level. We asked Rosalind for her tips on coping when feeling overwhelmed. 'At the start of the pandemic, I felt overwhelmed by the pressure. Technology is not my strong point, therefore learning new online skills was quite daunting! Many of the leaders in my district were terrified of trying to engage with the girls online as they were so used to face-to-face meetings.
'We were delighted when one of our units and the leaders who had been Zooming with great success helped the rest of the district with practical tips and ideas. My advice to anyone struggling with these feelings is to please reach out. Asking for help has been vital to me and made a world of difference. 'I reached out to people both inside and outside Girlguiding to help reassure myself that I was not neglecting my Promise. I have found that once we start to acknowledge openly how we feel, people tend to then empathise and share their experiences too. Please also remember to take time for yourself.'
Having difficult conversations
Deborah Williams, Rainbow unit leader from the 24th Wallasey (South) Rainbows unit, had a wealth of advice on how to tackle difficult conversations. 'It’s okay to say that you’re unsure how to approach a difficult situation or problem with someone else,’ says Deborah. ‘It’s fine to say ‘I don’t know where to start on Zoom.’ Please don’t be worried. We’re all human, and we’re all learning and finding our way through virtual sessions during the pandemic. If you’re facing a difficult conversation, take time to prepare and plan what you need to discuss. 'Plan and write down some bullet points about what you want to talk about. It’s important to maintain confidentiality by making sure the conversation is private and if possible, try and have the conversation in a separate area so you can’t be overheard by others. It might be helpful to wear headphones, and mute yourself where appropriate especially if somebody else comes into the room. 'Acknowledge when things don’t go to plan, why it happened and what could be done differently in the future. I always try and put myself in the other person's shoes. As they could be feeling overwhelmed or anxious and nervous, try and be supportive, and understanding. We are all doing the best we can and that is good enough.'
Deborah Williams knows how difficult it can be to have important conversations over Zoom
Although doing things in a new way was challenging, Kara-Jane Senior thinks it's also been an opportunity to develop her skills
Online meetings
Kara-Jane Senior, Leader at 8th Swindon Guides & Rangers and South West England Lones, gave us her advice on running online meetings and advice on how to set up some of her most successful virtual events-sleepovers. ‘It's hard to believe that it’s been a year since we first took meetings online. At the time it was difficult, but our unit were keen to quickly find an alternative way of meeting and we threw ourselves in and learnt as we went along. We focused on games and gradually began adapting programme activities and even had unofficial challenge badges to deliver online. ‘I actually found the experience exciting as it forced me to think very differently about how to keep meetings valuable and engaging for the girls, and it has opened up new possibilities - we've been able to do certain activities that we wouldn't do in a face-to-face meeting and have joined up with other units, plus there's no travel time which is a bonus! However, while I have really missed meeting face-to-face and doing a wider range of activities, I am grateful for the personal development opportunity as I have learnt new skills through using video conferencing and other online platforms, developed my communication skills, and been forced to innovate. ‘We did an online event called ‘Camp at Home’ and after this we became more confident and started creating our own concepts. My advice would be to get all leaders involved in planning. We organised this via Zoom, shared documents on Google Drive and a specific WhatsApp group. We pick a theme and relevant activities and all the information the girls and their parents/guardians need is put in a pack that’s emailed out in advance. We've had amazing feedback from our virtual camps and sleepovers and have been welcoming a few other units to join us.’
Tips for tackling challenges
Give yourself a break: You’re doing your best and your best is good enough
‘Have confidence in yourself and be sure to take regular breaks throughout the day.’ - Deborah Williams, leader, 24th Wallasey (South) Rainbows
Have a back up plan
‘When slow internet speeds have meant we've been unable to share online videos, or a craft activity hasn't gone to plan, we've cut things short and played a game. It’s always handy to have some games as a back-up. I also wasn't sure how baking together online would go at first, but the girls have really enjoyed it every time, and leaders enjoy not overseeing everyone's washing up!’ - Kara-Jane, leader, 8th Swindon Guides & Rangers and South West England Lones
Look for the silver linings (although we know it’s not always easy!)
‘The experience is not one I would have gone looking for, but I know it has helped me to learn and grow a lot. Keeping guiding throughout the pandemic has been so important to me for many reasons, and I know it has been for other members too.’ - Kara-Jane, leader, 8th Swindon Guides & Rangers and South West England Lones
Ask for help
Rosalind advises if you do not feel confident, ask people who are good with computers to help you with the basics, showing you how to start setting up meetings and using Zoom on your own can really boost your confidence.
Reach out to other leaders
‘Use their expertise to help. We had a new leader join us from another area right as lockdown started and her expertise in GO has been invaluable. Another leader takes care of our accounts and enjoys leading crafts, and another leader is really creative and comes up with great activity ideas.’ - Helen Blyth, leader, 1st Clatford Brownies
Get organised
Gather ideas from the girls and vary the types of activities week-to-week. If you're planning on doing any discussions in a meeting also factor in time for a game, to mix things up. For her Rangers unit activities, Kara-Jane uses Mentimeter.com to make it easier for them to engage in discussions and makes it interesting as you can create polls, word clouds, and quiz questions.
Don't look back, only forward
If you have a virtual meeting that doesn't go to plan, don't worry, it happens to everybody at some point. Put it down to experience and keep moving forward.
Don't compare yourself to others
Everybody is different and everyone’s virtual meeting will be different. That's what makes us all unique!
Get creative
Some of Deborah’s themes have been: superheroes, books, magic, mocktails, make your own crazy sandwich and Teddy Bears' picnic Zoom, to name a few!
‘Mix things up a bit and you’ll find what works for you and your unit as you know your girls best. We are all in this together and it doesn’t have to be perfect.’
Deborah Williams, leader, 24th Wallasey (South) Rainbows
We have plenty of resources to help you run meetings, including six week programme plans and suggestions for how to adapt activities for online or socially distanced meetings.
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