Girlguiding allows girls and young women the chance to be themselves, have fun, learn valuable life skills and build new friendships. All guiding groups are run by volunteers and are based all over the UK. Without the support and encouragement of over 100,000 amazing volunteers, Girlguiding wouldn’t be able to provide its members with such a vast array of challenges and adventures.
From the age of 5 I became a member of the Girlguides as a Rainbow. Once a week after the school bell rang to signal the end of the day I would grab my things and run to the main school hall where my local Rainbows was held. We’d gather chairs into a circle and eagerly await for the biscuit tin to travel around as Rainbows began. I loved playing new and exciting games on a weekly basis. However, as I grew and progressed onto Brownies and finally Guides, I began to understand and learn more about the ethics of Girlguiding.
At the end of each meeting we would all recite the Girlguiding promise. The Rainbow promise is a shortened version of the Guiding promise and at this age you don’t fully understand what it means. The Girlguiding promise is the core of the charity’s morals and values. It shows and teaches girls to be honest, helpful, considerate and respectful throughout any challenges they might face which is a skill they can use throughout their lives.
After finishing Rainbows and Brownies it was time to move onto guides. There wasn’t a Guiding group in my village, but luckily there was one in a nearby town who were the Clare Guides. I had grown through Rainbows and Brownies so far with people I knew from school but now I had no choice but to go to a different town to join the girl guides. Joining a new group or an after school club can be a daunting concept. However, Girlguiding is all about making new friends and meeting people from different areas so there is really nothing to worry about. As soon as I got to my first meeting with the Clare Girlguides I realised how welcoming everyone was and before I knew it we were all friends.
Throughout the Guides I built my confidence and aspirations as we worked towards a huge variety of different badges and ‘go for its’. We also took part in a number of different activities such as canoeing, camping, cooking, guide camp, the big gig, meeting other local guiding groups and festivities such as Easter and Christmas. These are the most common times for different local Girlguiding groups to meet up and celebrate together showing we are all part of the same community.
Trying out new things on a weekly basis and learning outside of the school mind set kept us going back for more. Taking part in different activities and working towards goals brought us together and gave us something to aim for. Girlguiding allow girls the chance to reach their potential and encourages them to be a powerful source for the good.
Clare Guides was a brilliant experience for me, one that I know others will enjoy. The group is always looking for new members. Clare guides is suitable for young women aged 10 to 15 who meet on a weekly basis (during term time) at Clare Baptist Hall from 7-8:30pm. Please contact the leader of the Clare Girl Guides for more information! Contact details can be found here: http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/haverhill/events/feature/clare-girl-guides
