IGG Newsletter 23 January 2020

News and Updates

• World Thinking Day - resources, badges and pen-pals • IGG online courses • Are you ready for Census on 31 January 2020? • Brownie Sixer and Seconder Day - 7 March • CIGA needs a secretary! Could it be you? • IGG fundraising for the Australian bushfire crisis

Distribution Centre news

• Bushfire Crisis badge • Click and collect at Branch Weekend

International

• Next Kusafiri event will be in Ghana, July 2020 • Facilitators needed for European Jamboree 2020 - apply before 10 February

Other News

• Carol Martin strikes Gold • #Guidingmemories competition • National Spring Clean

Dear members,

We are sure you are all busy preparing for World Thinking Day (WTD), which is now less than a month away!

Arbutus Ladybirds and Brownies have been making their WTD boxes and no doubt many more of you have been too.

This year's theme is Living Threads, which presents a perfect opportunity to introduce the concepts of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to the girls in your Unit and to explore how, as a Unit, you can offer a welcoming and safe space for girls and young women from all backgrounds in your local community.

You can find more information on the theme on pages 6 and 7 of the International edition of Trefoil News and lots of ideas and resources on the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) website.

And don't forget to order your WTD

badges from our online shop!

Ladybird and Brownie Leaders! Would your girls be interested in swapping WTD cards with girls in another country? We've had requests from several Leaders in America who would love to do a swap and, perhaps, continue as pen-pals following WTD. We've also had a request from the Leader of a 12-year-old Guide from Poland who would love to become a pen-pal with an Irish Girl Guide of a similar age. Please email [email protected] asap if you are interested in any of these opportunities.

Did you know we now have online

courses available in the Leader Area of the IGG website? There are three courses, which are self-guided and self- explanatory, so you can complete them in your own time and at your own pace. Doing the courses is a great way to keep

up-to-date.

The courses are:

1. Safeguarding and Child Protection for those under 18 years of age who volunteer in a leadership role in Units

2. Assistant Leader Warrant – this training is for all members who are taking on a leadership role, and reinforces the learning and experience gained from a training or from working with a Unit.

3. New Safeguarding and Child Protection Refresher Course – for all Leaders over 18 years (It is now compulsory for all adult volunteers to refresh their Safeguarding training at least once every five years. The initial course must be done as a face-to-face course and subsequent courses can be done by either attendance at a course or by completing the one-hour refresher).

Just a reminder that on 31 January all Units should complete the Census process and the Accounts 2019 information on OGM; and upload the Units Accounts package. Watch this video to see how to do this! All Leaders should have received by email the Step by Step Guides for Census and Accounts. If you

didn't receive one and would like a copy, please email [email protected].

Calling all Brownie Leaders! A Brownie

Sixer and Seconder Day will take place in Larch Hill Scout Centre on Saturday 7 March from 10:00-15:00. This fun day will be a great opportunity to meet Brownies from all around the country. Places can be booked on this Eventbrite

link.

The Council of Irish Guiding

Associations (CIGA) is looking for a Secretary for council meetings. The role alternates between Irish Girl Guides (IGG) and the Catholic Guides of Ireland(CGI), and this term it is IGG's time to fill this role. The Secretary will send out agendas,

attend meetings and take minutes. CIGA meets three times a year in Dublin - usually March, October and November.

This is a great opportunity to be involved in a really important part of IGG operations and to work with CGI and Girlguiding Ulster. The previous Secretary is staying on as Treasurer, so there will be lots of support in the role. The Secretary is needed before the next meeting on 8 March 2020, so if you would be interested please email the CIGA Chair, Alison Cahill, at [email protected].

IGG fundraising for the Australian bushfire crisis

Many of our members are wondering how they can help the people, animals and environment affected by the ongoing bushfires. Inspired by one Unit who came up with the idea, we would like to give our girls a practical way of helping and responding to Girl Guides Australia’s plea for support.

We are suggesting that Units can use the IGG Girl Guide cookies as a tangible way to raise funds, and all profits will be donated to the Australian fund. All funds raised from the cookie sales is returned to IGG. For cookies ordered between now and the end of March, we will donate the €1 profit on each packet to an IGG central fund for us to give in one donation to the Girl Guides Australia appeal. Girls can sell the cookies to their families and friends, or can run a stall locally advertising that the money raised is for the Australian bushfires fund.

For any Units that take part, they can still earn their Cookie badge and, once the money from their fundraising has been received, we will send them an IGG cookie badge for free.

To order your cookies, please use this link and, if you are going to Branch Weekend (Athlone, 7-9 Feb) and want your cookies to be delivered to the hotel for you to take home, put that in the notes when ordering.

Further details of the Girl Guides Australia appeal can be found here. Of course, Units can donate directly to Girl Guides Australia, if you prefer. If you have any queries, please contact [email protected]

DISTRIBUTION CENTRE NEWS

Girl Guides Australia are producing this new Bushfire Crisis badge in aid of communities affected by the devastating bushfires. If any IGG Unit would like to get some of these badges (with all proceeds going to the cause), the Dublin Distribution Centre will order them and send them out for free.

To avail of this offer, simply ring the Distribution Centre on 01-6605503 with your order and make payment by credit or debit card. Each badge costs €2 plus postage of €2, regardless of how many badges are bought.

We are delighted to let you know that the Click and Collect at Branch Weekend is now available on our online shop! We will be bringing a selection of Leader uniforms, including the new summer shirts and samples of the Guide and Senior Branch summer shirts. Also, a selection of books, Journey Programme resources, novelty items and Branch Weekend Specials.

We will not, however, be bringing Ladybird, Brownie, Guide or Senior Branch uniforms or Interest Badges. If you require any of these items, please pre-order asap via the online shop and we will bring your order with us to Branch Weekend.

INTERNATIONAL

KUSAFIRI EVENT, GHANA 2020

Kusafiri World Centre is holding its next event in Ghana in July 2020! Registrations are currently open and they are looking forward to receiving applications from across the world. Click here to see all you need to know to attend the event. Apply here. For questions, email the Kusafiri World Centre Manager Jen Barron at [email protected].

FACILITATORS NEEDED FOR EUROPEAN JAMBOREE 2020 Just a reminder that if you are thinking of applying to be a facilitator at the European Jamboree, be sure to apply by 10 February 2020! See the WAGGGS website for more information.

OTHER NEWS

Well done, well done, very well done to Carol Martin who recently received a Gold Gaisce Award! Carol, who is a member of Charleville Senior Branch, enjoyed helping out with Smartie Brownies so much while working towards her Award that she has now signed up as a fully warranted Leader. Carol is now working towards the Golden Sun Award. You can read all about her Award journey on our

website.

Thank you to everyone who entered our #Guidingmemories competition! We have enjoyed seeing all your favourite Guiding memories from last year.

Keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where we will announce the winner of this 'Crafting Fun' book later today!

And finally ...

Well done to our members in Ennis who rolled up their sleeves to help their local Tidy Towns' committee carry out a litter-pick.

We hope many of you will once again join in An Taisce's National Spring Clean this year. You can register here to receive litter picks and hi-vis vests.

Yours in Guiding,

Fiona Murdoch Communications Officer Irish Girl Guides

Our mailing address is: Irish Girl Guides 27 Pembroke Park Ballsbridge Dublin, Dublin 4 D04 NV08 Ireland