Newsletter Autumn 18
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November 2018 News from British Girlguiding Overseas Welcome to our autumn forget to give this to all new volunteers when you newsletter! meet them. It has blank pages for you to Hello everyone, personalise with your local information too. I hope that you all had a The last two months have been busy and as fabulous summer and have always, so enjoyable. In September, Hazel, Emma had great starts to the and Barbara -the County guiding year with your units. Commissioners from In my June message I wrote BeneLux and France and about saying goodbye to BGO Europe, and I attended members who have had to move to different the County Commissioners parts of the world and how upsetting this can be conference held at for both the girls and volunteers. Yarnfield in Staffordshire. In this message I want to say hello to all the new We spent a weekend attending very interesting girls and volunteers who have joined us, or have and worthwhile trainings and meetings. We met moved to a different BGO unit. We hope that you and chatted with Amanda, Chief Guide, Julie, will enjoy your time in your new country and new Deputy Chief Guide, other county commissioners unit and we’re very, very pleased to have you from all parts of the UK as well as members of with us. staff from HQ. As always it is the chatting and Have you all seen the great new volunteer exchanging of ideas between trainings and during the evenings which recruitment campaign videos and posters? They have been created by HQ’s marketing, PR, is so valuable. We all agreed that it membership recruitment and retention teams to name but a few. Girlguiding volunteers star in all had been a very Welcome the posters and films, so if you haven’t seen inspirational weekend. t o B G O ’ s them, please do check them out on the At the end of autumn September, Glen newsletter. This the Chair of TGIFC edition has and her husband news of Compass 19 our Ron popped in on big summer event plus their way home advisers’ reports and lots after visiting as of your news and photos. many TGIFC We are always delighted members in Europe to hear from you and it as they could as a has been great to see way of celebrating people starting to enjoy Girlguiding website. You can download and the Trefoil Guild’s the new programme. personalise the posters for your areas of BGO, ask 75th birthday. As a Don’t forget to keep in parents and people in your communities to watch fellow Trefoil Guild touch by Facebook and the videos to encourage your volunteer member, I had two Tw i t t e r t o o . recruitment campaign if you think it suitable. excellent days Lynne our Growing Guiding adviser has updated catching up with our warm welcome package so please don’t Glen’s news before they headed back to Belgium. I’m sure that you’ll wonderful volunteers who have such a lot of find out a bit more about experience and enthusiasm for the movements. Glen’s trip later in this Thanks and recognition is so important and we newsletter or on the TGIFC don’t always recognise our volunteers, nor our Facebook page. young members, as well as we should. Later in In October I went to visit the newsletter you can read about the new BGO North and South Germany thanks and recognition awards so please think divisions. What a welcome they gave Geraldine about those valuable volunteers and young Costello, operation manager of Safeguarding in members who deserve to be recognised by us for HQ and me as we led Safe Space level 3 and New all that they do and nominate them if you feel Programme trainings in Paderborn on Saturday they meet the criteria. The new awards and in Munich on Sunday. committee will meet for the first time in It was wonderful to meet so many dedicated February 2019. leaders and hear about their units and the Another exciting year has started in BGO! opportunities they offer the girls and young Sleepovers, camps and pack holidays have already women in their care. Their enthusiasm for guiding taken place, later this month a lot of units will be outshone the wonderful sunshine that we had remembering the 100th anniversary of the end of during our stay. While it is very sad to know that the Great War and quite a few units have decided by next summer most of the units in North to move over to the new programme and so are Germany will have closed as the army will have looking to the future. Whatever you are doing marched out, there is a bright side as those with ‘your’ girls I hope that you have a great leaders and girls who will be moving to Cyprus time, have fun, enjoy everything that guiding want to continue their guiding there. Those with our young members brings and I hope that, moving to the UK are equally interested in while you might not always be thanked in words continuing guiding so I am confident that the at every meeting or for the time it takes to volunteers’ and girls’ guiding journeys will prepare them, the smiles on the girls’ faces make continue to be bright. My weekend was made it all so very worthwhile. even more special as I awarded Zoe, Lisa and Dani with their Chief Guide Challenge awards. Hazel Plant, Deputy The girls presented an Chief Commissioner and Guiding inspiring account of all the Development Adviser writes challenges, adventures, hard work and fun they It’s been lovely to meet so many had experienced to meet more of you over the last few the criteria for this months and BGO has been prestigous award. Well done girls and thanks to incredibly busy yet again. I want to all the leaders in Munich for supporting the girls thank you all for your enthusiasm and energy in their endeavour! getting to grips with the new programme as well This month has started with a bang as I have just as moving forward with A Safe Space. The got back from attending the ‘Thanks and trainings we were able to offer in HQ in July were Recognition’ ceremony really popular and it was so nice to see so many held at Westminster BGO leaders from such a variety of places Abbey for all together. I hope everyone who was able to come volunteers who have along enjoyed it as much as we did! g i v e n o u t s t a n d i n g Our team of trainers have been working very hard service and 30 years, to help everyone through this exciting time and and more, long service I’d like to say a very big thank you to Ellie Hart to Girlguiding. The and Jo Smith in Cyprus for the trainings they did event is also attended by the Scouts and it is a there back in May as part of their Trainer real honour to meet and to talk to so many Qualifications. They were accompanied throughout their venture by their tutor, Diane Card, and I’d like to say thank you to Diane as whatever technology will work best for you. By well for all her time and the invaluable support letting us know, you will help us to meet your she has given. Many congratulations to Jo for needs and make sure that whatever we plan, we having now successfully completed every part of are able to include as many sessions you have her qualification and getting her portfolio of identified as helpful as possible and do our best evidence submitted! to make it accessible for anyone who might want Congratulations to Lynne Armitage too, as she has to attend. been working hard to become the first of our BGO Last but not least I’d like to encourage you to trainers to be able to deliver Webinar trainings consider taking advantage of our Peer Education and having completed her course, has been funding! We do of course, need to make sure we delivering sessions on the new programme using reach as many girls as possible with this, but if this fantastic new tool. You can sign up for the you and your fellow leaders nearby can plan Webinar sessions via GO and they are a great meetings so that a peer educator can see 60 or opportunity to find out a bit more about all more girls (Brownies, Guides or Rangers) in one aspects of the changes. Somehow Lynne managed visit of 2 – 4 days, please get in touch with Emma to fit in supporting local leaders with some at peereducation@british-girlguiding- informal trainings in Spain this September as overseas.org.uk and I know she will do her best to well, so I’d also like to add thanks for everything accommodate you. If you are having a peer involved in doing that to the congratulations! educator to visit, please ensure that you are able The roll out of A Safe Space continues with Adele to help her with transport from and to the airport Steel being kept very busy delivering the or train station at which she will arrive/depart necessary sessions all over the Middle East and and that you are able to provide accommodation HQ Safeguarding staff member, Geraldine for the duration of her stay. Costello, visiting Germany to train there We have been able to get sessions for girls in alongside our Chief Commissioner Diane who, several locations so far and they are a really despite her very full plate, fitted in some training valuable part of the programme.