Fast-track training was a great success

Recently 20 new guiding leaders joined their commissioners for a new type of training event at Girlguiding’s centre, Foxlease, set in 65 acres of gorgeous grounds and campsites near Lyndhurst.

While the commissioners had trainings on such topics as safe space and dealing with concerns, the weekend for new leaders was designed to cover nearly all the training needed to be a leader in Girlguiding.

This includes modern guiding practice, the promise, training on the guiding programme for 
each age range, finance and safety.

This fast-track way of training our leaders was a new venture for us, and it has been a great success.

We’ll definitely be doing it again.

Kathryn Simpson, a young leader with the 3rd Sarisbury Green Brownies, was enthusiastic about the weekend.

She said: ‘I learnt about 
the types of activities that girls of different ages would enjoy, how to run accounts for a unit and how to budget, and how to spot potential risks within the meeting place.

‘All the trainings were very useful and relevant to my volunteer role and I came away with lots of good 
ideas to try with my brownie unit.’

Everyone enjoyed the mix of both young leaders and adult members attending the weekend.

Everybody came to the weekend with a unique experience and lots of ideas to share of things they had done, and could do, with girls in their units.

Kathryn thought that the biggest challenge of the weekend was an activity of drawing what guiding should look like in 2016 from the perspective of the girls.

‘Despite coming up through rainbows, brownies and guides, I found it difficult to put myself into the mind-set of a five-16 year- old and think about what activities I’d enjoyed most at each age,’ she said.

Kathryn also got the chance at the weekend to renew her guiding promise.

She said: ‘It was a very special moment as I got to make it in front of many leaders that I’ve known throughout my years in guiding.

‘I really enjoyed the weekend and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to be a leader in Girlguiding.’

For more information about how to get involved in Girlguiding, go to girlguiding.org.uk.

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