Girlguiding UK ISSUE 6SPRING 2010 - Open Objects...

CentenaryCelebrationsThe worldunites

One World One BeatA stamp

of approval

Girlguiding UK ISSUE 6 SPRING 2010

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Centenary

Celebrations

Be part of the next 100 yearsHalf of all women in the UK have been involved in guiding at some point in their lives,and as part of our Centenary Celebrations we are collecting their stories to make anonline Story Bank. If you’ve got a story to share, why not tell us online and be part ofthe next 100 years: www.girlguiding.org.uk/storybank.

We’re 100 years old – and we’re celebrating in style.

‘Remembering the past, celebrating the future.’In case you didn’t know, Girlguiding UKturns 100 this year – and we’ve beenincredibly busy celebrating our birthday.We’ve got a whole year of amazing eventsand adventures lined up, but here aresome of the highlights so far:

• 1.4 million viewers for the BBC Fourdocumentary 100 years of the Girl Guides

• 384,189 euphoric party-goers at ourCentenary Launch Parties

• 296,591 girls changing the world in ourepic Centenary community action project

• 3,118 women back in touch on ouralumni site, Guides Reconnected

• 227 stories of guiding past and presentcurrently on our online Story Bank

• 225 perfect moments captured so far forour Centenary photo competition

• 100 Centenary Adventures planned, fromthe whimsical to the white-knuckled

• 73 people trekking, horse riding andcycling to fundraise for Girlguiding UK

• 1 Centenary Fund, dedicated to helpinggirls across the UK achieve their dreams.

Giving girls a dreamBecause 2010 is our Centenary year, we areasking our supporters to make sure there’s‘something for the girls’ for the next 100years. Every penny donated to ourCentenary Fund will go directly towardsgiving girls amazing opportunities andmemories that will last them a lifetime.Visit our website www.girlguiding.org.uk/centenaryfund/donate to make a secureonline donation, or call 020 7834 6242.


Awfully

big

Adventures

In the loop Keep up to date with the latest news, events and information from Girlguiding UK via yourfavourite social networking websites. Become our fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/girlguidinguk or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/girlguidinguk.

This year we are encouraging girls and youngwomen to take part in an adventure like no other.

Rachael Moss, of Netherton District SeniorSection, thinks New York is big: ‘Bigbuildings, big food, and a big UltimateAdventure to celebrate our big 100thbirthday!’ Travelling with her unit, Rachaelundertook a spectacular seven-day tripexperiencing all that New York has tooffer: the Empire State Building, the Statueof Liberty, Central Park, attempting to shoptill they dropped, and of course the iconicTimes Square. ‘You can see why New Yorkis the city that never sleeps by the wayTimes Square is buzzing,’ says NatalieHone, of Northfleet District. ‘There are somany bright lights you feel you’re on amovie set.’

We want every girl to experience at leastone truly magical moment that will staywith her forever. It could be an Ultimate

Adventure like Rachael’s, or the recentdrama-filled trip to the Falkland Islands; aPrincess Party or the chance to Go Wild at azoo for Rainbows; a Brownie Takeover atone of our Training and Activity Centres; ora Great Guide Getaway to Switzerland,Mexico or Alton Towers!

This year is about every girl having thechance to do something truly memorable.As Rachael puts it: ‘Twelve months ago Icould never have imagined guiding wouldhave taken me [to New York], and I canonly imagine what the next 100 years havein store.’

Read about more of our CentenaryAdventures by visiting www.girlguiding.org.uk/centenary/yourexperiences.

‘This trip is something I’ll remember forever.’


For Sophie, of 1st Bedford Senior Section,World Thinking Day this year meanssomething extra special. ‘It’s a fantasticopportunity to do something I have neverexperienced before… I can look back andsay: “That’s part of how I participated incelebrating 100 years of guiding.”’

In the UK we celebrated with an excitingnational festival of performing arts eventscalled One World One Beat. These eventswere hosted at the same time by allGirlguiding UK’s Countries and Regions,and included a series of inspiringworkshops on the theme of worldperforming arts. An amazing 18,000 girlsand young women from the UK all sang,danced and performed to celebrate beingpart of World Guiding. All the One WorldOne Beat events were linked using satellite

technology, so members were able to joinlive broadcasts and reports from the othervenues. ‘It was a chance for all the girls andwomen within the family of guiding to feela connection, across the globe, bringingpeople together from every race,nationality, religion and culture to shareone thing in common – guiding,’ saysSophie.

Each unit chose different ways to recordthe day. Sophie found that one Browniehad captured the mood perfectly: ‘We hada tree for everyone to write their messageson, and my most memorable moment fromthe entire weekend was reading aBrownie’s message that was left on thistree. It read: “Guiding is good because in ityou make friends for life, and after all whatis life without friends to share it with.”’

One

World

One Beat

Girls with attitudeOne in two girls aged between 16 and 21 would consider plastic surgery; nearly half ofall 7- to 11- year-old girls want to own their own house by the time they are 30; and onein six 11- to 16-year-old girls believes that ‘marriage is just a piece of paper’. Read moreinsights from our Girls’ Attitudes Survey at www.girlguiding.org.uk/girlsattitudes.

Our nationwide arts festival brought 18,000 youngmembers together for World Thinking Day 2010.

‘A chance for all the girls and women in guiding to feel a connection.’


Girlguiding UK’s Training and ActivityCentres offer fantastic opportunities foradventures, new challenges – and, ofcourse, plenty of fun! We have eightcentres around the UK, offering hundredsof activities to any organised youth group –including schools and the Scouts – as wellas adult groups looking for a corporatechallenge event or team-building exercise.

You don’t need a head for heights to enjoyour Activity Centres to the full. As well asthe thrills of climbing, abseiling, zip wireand other high-octane activities, we offergentler pursuits such as orienteering,swimming and nature trails. Our London-based Centre, ICANDO, has a wide range of

indoor activities and is the perfect base forexploring the capital.

Our programmes are incredibly flexible,and include hourly activity sessions, dayprogrammes and longer holiday-stylebreaks. All our sites are safe, secure andfully insured, which gives group leaders theconfidence to allow their young people toexperience a full range of activities underthe watchful guidance of our trained andqualified instructors.

For more information on any of our activitycentres, visit their websites atwww.girlguiding.org.uk/activitycentres.

Activities

for all

New website launchedGirlguiding UK’s updated website is now even more user-friendly for everyone, from ouryoungest Rainbows through to our longest-serving adult members. Every one of ourhalf a million members will find something new and exciting on our relaunched websitewww.girlguiding.org.uk.

Girlguiding UK’s eight activity centres offer allkinds of activities, from abseiling to wind surfing.

‘You don’t need a head for heights!’


Guides reconnectingHave you ever been a Rainbow, Brownie, Guide, Senior Section member or a Leader? If so,then you could become part of Guides Reconnected, Girlguiding UK’s alumni website. It’sthe perfect place to find past and present guiding friends: www.guidesreconnected.org.uk.

‘Bringing to life the achievements of guiding.’

A stamp

of

approval

Stamps designed withthe girls, for the girls.

In February this year, Royal Mail launchedlimited-edition Girlguiding UK stamps,including a presentation pack and First Day Cover, to mark our Centenary. Inaddition, we are selling our own speciallimited-edition First Day Covers postmarked22 February 2010 to celebrate WorldThinking Day.

Chief Guide Liz Burnley says: ‘These lastingmementos of our 100th birthday weredesigned with the girls and show just a fewof the activities that girls in each section ofguiding can enjoy. They bring to life theremarkable achievements of guiding overthe past 100 years.’

Julietta Edgar, Head of Special Stamps atRoyal Mail, said that Girlguiding UK’sCentenary stamps ‘capture the many

activities and achievements of anorganisation which continues to shape thelives of millions of young people aroundthe world’.

The Royal Mint is alsohelping to celebrateour Centenary: it haslaunched a limited-edition 50p coin. This isa rare privilege and thecoins will make veryspecial souvenirs or gifts. Coins areavailable in one of three gift packs.

Our own First Day Cover andcommemorative presentation packs areavailable from Girlguiding UK TradingService. To order yours, call 0161 941 2237or visit www.girlguidingukshop.co.uk.


Girlguiding UK is fortunate to beassociated with some beautiful buildingsthroughout the UK including Waddow in Lancashire, Foxlease in Hampshire,Hautbois in Norfolk, Broneirion in Wales,Lorne in Northern Ireland and NetherurdHouse in Scotland.

As part of the UK Heritage Open Daysseason, this autumn we are opening up ourbuildings to the public. You can come andsee what goes on at the venues, learnabout the history behind the buildings, seethe guiding stories unfold and enjoy eventsand activities for the family too. It’s a freeday out that lets you share guiding’sunique heritage with family and friends –

and gives you the chance for a good noseround some fascinating buildings!

Wendy Hughes is Centre Manager ofFoxlease, our Training and Activity Centrebased in the New Forest. ‘We are thrilledthat Foxlease will be open to the generalpublic during the Heritage Open Housesweekend,’ says Wendy, ‘and we are lookingforward to sharing our guiding history.’

The UK Heritage Open Days season runs ondifferent dates in the different countries ofthe UK. Visit www.heritagedays.net to findout about opening dates and locationsnear you.

Behind

closed

doors…

Add me!Girlguiding UK Today is a free newsletter. If you would like to be added to ourmailing list or would prefer to receive an e-version instead, please [email protected]. Please also let us know if you would prefer not toreceive any further issues.

Girlguiding UK opens its doors to the publicto celebrate UK architecture and heritage.

‘It’s a free day out for family and friends.’


Volunteer with usWe have 48,000 girls waiting to join us – so we need more adult volunteers. Whetheryou want to offer an hour or two every few months or make a regular weeklycommitment, there are lots of ways in which you can volunteer and help Girlguiding UKput girls in the lead. For more information visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/get_involved,email [email protected] or call 0800 1 69 59 01.

In July 2011 Girlguiding UK will host the nextGuiding World Conference in Edinburgh.

‘We will be representing ten million Guides.’In July 2008 the Guides of South Africahanded over the official World Flag tomembers of Girlguiding UK, celebratingthe end of the 33rd World Conference inJohannesburg and marking the start of thejourney to Edinburgh.

International guiding impacts positively onmillions of lives, and every three yearsdelegates representing the 145 memberorganisations of the World Association ofGirl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)come together to debate global issues. The500 women who will convene in 2011under the banner ‘100 years of changinglives’, the WAGGGS Centenary theme, willtake part in workshops on femaleleadership, advocacy, and campaigning onthe UN Millennium Development Goals.

‘The World Conference is about bringingtogether the combined efforts of WorldGuiding to talk about and explore issuesthat will make a real difference incommunities across the globe,’ says SallyMcMath, Chairman of the UK ConferencePlanning Team. She hopes that theConference will also offer many girls andyoung women the opportunity to getinvolved, and that the experience willinspire them to become more active intheir own communities.

We are looking for partners for the WorldConference to help as many girls aspossible to get involved, including girlsfrom socially disadvantaged areas withinthe UK. If you can support us in changinglives, please get in touch at [email protected] or call 020 7834 6242.

The

world

unites


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