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On Saturday, I attended the 99th AGM of Girlguiding, a time for reflection on the past year and looking at the years ahead. Present at this meeting is all Girlguiding Trustees, all chief commissioners, and other members of the operational board plus Girlguiding council members. Each Region has representatives on the council, and it was great to see familiar faces on the zoom call. Council members are there to give the voice of young women from within our organisation, and it was great to hear their views on some of the developments which are currently being undertaken. Thank you to our council members, giving their voice to this group and of course representing Girlguiding Anglia. During the AGM, we had a presentation from one of the Girlguiding trustees who is also a member of our Region, thank you to Alison Hampton for your presentation on your guiding experience over this last year. It was lovely to hear Alison talk about the positive achievements including the number of zoom calls and meetings held, plus participation in our regions virtual offer events from last year. The presentation was honest and talked about the level of admin that leaders and commissioners are all facing. The impact of this, cannot be underestimated, particularly with the high volume of risk assessments our commissioners are needing to agree at this current time. Please be mindful of everyone’s capacity, please use each other for support, share ideas and use the website to gather information which helps to complete risk assessments for all the wonderful activities we can offer our girls and young women.
Our Facebook page is back!
As I think some of you have already noticed, we are finally back on Facebook after several months of disappointment trying to republish our old account. Check it out and make sure you give us a like for all the latest news and events.
Fiesta Fun 17-18 July
Have you signed up for Fiesta Fun? – I am really looking forward to celebrating this event as part of our 50th Birthday Celebrations, there is lots to do, lots to make and things to have a try at, but most of all have some Fun, Fiesta style. Of course, there is a great badge too! You can find the event pack here.
Don’t worry if you cannot do everything on the 17 and 18 July, use the resources throughout the year, many of the activities also align to the programme. One activity is an invitation to renew your promise at daybreak, I am hoping for sunshine and hope you can join me in the virtual world!
Take care and keep smiling
Tracy.
Our County
Essex North East is a large County spreading from Great Yeldham on the Suffolk border encompassing the seaside towns of Clacton, Frinton and Harwich the rural area of Halstead and the London commuter belt including Ingatestone.
We have the benefit of historic Colchester and Chelmsford, the birthplace of radio, as well as rural towns and village. We enjoy the wildlife of salt marshes and mudflats as well as the sandy beaches of the Sunshine coast.
We are proud of our amazing units and volunteers and our county campsite, Riffhams is a back to basic gem.
What have we been up to?
Much like the other counties, due to Covid-19 Girlguiding in Essex North East has gone online. Our fantastic leaders have sorted entertainment and education by running virtual guiding for our units. Guides in Frinton-on-sea were given boxes with crafts and activities for their weekly meetings and other units have invited guests along such as virtual animal encounters, magic shows and story tellers.
Units in Elmstead and Braintree divisions hosted virtual sleepovers and camps to celebrate World Thinking Day, and of course- these included making everyone’s favourite, smores! One of the brilliant opportunities provided by the online world is that we are able to meet with people from further afield- Elmstead Division’s World Thinking Day event included Girlguiding members from Portsmouth and girls from Chelmsford were “visited” by a leader from Canada.
We’ve had some big birthdays too, 1st Writtle Guides celebrated their 100th Birthday and 1st Writtle Brownies celebrated their 60th!
During 2020, our County Commissioner Julie Craven and her fantastic team put together the County Commissioners Challenge 2020 which is a brilliant challenge badge for individuals or units. It featured weekly themes and activity suggestions June to December 2020 and it’s not too late to visit our website to view the challenges for inspiration, and order badges.
GENE Radio Show
Throughout the last year the volunteers and girls have continued to give girls a voice with our very own GENE Radio Show
Gene Radio Show Facebook
Gene Radio show more information
Essex County Cricket
Last year we teamed up with the Essex Ladies Cricket Captain Kelly Castle who ran a virtual coaching session and Essex Cricket in the community have more face to face cricket events planned for our young members.
The Light Project
Girls and leaders from Girlguiding Chelmsford have recently taken part in a ten week on line STEAM project to plan and make an amazing installation. The project was funded by Essex 2020 and the Ragdoll Project, who’s aim to give children a voice through creative arts. The installation, titled “Lockdown Loss and Future Hope” reflects the positive impact that pets have had on the girls’ lives during the pandemic.
“The artwork is dedicated to all our lockdown pets, those that have gone over the rainbow bridge and those that we hope to have in the future”
Snapping the Stiletto Animation Project
We have an exciting partnership with the Snapping the Stiletto campaign, a National Lottery Heritage Funded project which aims to seek equality and challenge stereotypes by sharing and celebrating the stories of Essex women.
Girls across the county were given the opportunity to take part one of two, four-week introduction to online animation. You can find this here and here.
They brought portraits of female role models and self-portraits to life through animation on a tablet. They learned about looping and morphing tips and tricks to make effective and beautiful short, animated videos.
Their final animations will be used as part of the Essex wide Snapping the Stiletto project.
Onwards and upwards
I am sure that most of us will tell you that we have been given some brilliant opportunities and made some fantastic memories which we otherwise would not have, if we hadn’t volunteered our time in the first place. I would like to extend the County’s heartfelt thanks for all our amazing volunteers have done to continue guiding in our area, and keeping our members interested during these difficult times.
As units begin face to face meetings our members continue to challenge both themselves and the girls in their care.
Website
As we took over the County as Commissioners the pandemic was upon us and we were going into the first lockdown. We had already got our County team together and with their help and support we have navigated our way through some challenging but interesting times. We have been amazed how creative and adaptable our volunteers have been and in true Guiding spirit they have risen to the challenge and provided unique opportunities for the girls, which has been so important during this time. We are now along with our team looking forward to getting Guiding back face to face and meeting up with members from across the County. We have now reached our 1 year of virtual guiding milestone and have just released a badge so our members have a memento of the last year which can take pride of place on their camp blankets.
Cathie and Carol
Joint County Commissioners
What have we achieved over the last year?
Student takeover: Girlguiding in the 21st century
We were recently given the opportunity to tell our story to one of the students from Peterborough college. She chose to write about how children have been affected by the pandemic and soon tailored her story to be based around Girlguiding. It was lovely to hear an outsider’s view of how much guiding has helped our members through the pandemic and help spread our message to the wider world. To read the article it is here.
Cambs West walk together challenge
The challenge was to walk 100 miles and collect the mileage badges and centre hexagon. This challenge was so popular it has raised in excess of £5,000 for the County and roughly 180,000 miles walked. We have had some fabulous pictures from all over the country of peoples walks and orders from as far as Canada and Switzerland. It was a great challenge to do when walking was a lot of people’s main exercise and getting out into the open. Once we can all meet again safely, we plan to organise a County picnic to celebrate all the miles we have done.
Guide herbal remedies virtual badge day
The guides had an amazing day gaining their Natural Remedies badge online. They received kits with lots of products sent out for the day, some were provided to us by Naissance, who kindly sponsored the day, and others collected by the leaders who collated a brilliant kit for the day! The day started with a guest speaker from the Body Shop. They then investigated ingredients from familiar products and learnt about natural ingredients and scents then blended their own signature perfume. Using their signature perfume, they went on to make their produces such as scented candles, bath bombs, shower steamers and soap. A fabulous day was had by all and we had many reports of amazing smelling kitchens.
Oliva Rawson rainbow unit bake sale
Panto Challenge
With it being difficult to come together and celebrate Christmas with parties and outings such as going to the Panto we had our own Panto Challenge. The purpose of the challenge was to experience the production and performance of the panto.
Ending with a grand finale video called It’s a Rap which showed characters designed, sets made and costumes ready. There was even a well done from some of the cast from Jack and the Beanstalk from one of our Theatres in Peterborough which was brilliant. This challenge and badge are still available on our website if anyone fancies a go.
Virtual World Thinking Day
World Thinking Day is one of the most important dates in the Guiding calendar and as we were unable to meet, we went virtual. The theme this year was peace building so we spent the day learning about women peace builders and traveling around the world centres taking part in activities. We started the day by renewing our promises, then went on to make calm spheres to help us find peace and calm. Traveling around the world centres we did sari tying from Sangam, paper picado from Our Cabana, cheese and chocolate fondues from Our Chalet, peace doves from Pax Lodge and paper beads from Kusafiri ending with a member of Trefoil Guild leading us through the ripples of peace activity.
With a closing video from our sisters around the world we had happy Thinking Day messages sent to us from Pax Lodge, Kenya, Sangam, South Australia, Portugal and Our Chalet. The lovely lady from Kenya ended her message with a huge smile saying guiding is so much fun and we couldn’t agree with her more.
We also spent February taking part in the social media challenge set by Girlguides of Australia called Guide Month. It was lovely to reminisce with all our members and find pictures to match each of the day’s themes and show all our social media followers what a brilliant time we have in Guiding.
What is in store for Girlguiding Cambridgeshire West?
Following a legacy recently left to the County we are in the early stages of planning a new HQ. We have found a new office which we are now moving into and working towards building a new holiday and camping facility for the County.
A Ranger and Young Leader virtual social and quiz evening will be held on Friday 7 May 7.30pm to 8.30pm.
In partnership with Girlguiding Cambs East the Lord-Lieutenants Challenge was launched in February 2020 which is a great challenge to get involved with.
We are working closely with Girlguiding Cambs East to hold a joint County Camp in 2022. With the ideas that are on the table at the moment this is going to be a brilliant event giving girls from both counties the chance to experience a large camp.
Girlguiding Cambridgeshire West website
It feels refreshing to have blue skies and a shining sun again, it really lifts the spirit. As we have received the news that face-to-face guiding can resume, we must take this next phase slowly to ensure that we are all safe and continue to stay well. Please make sure that your risk assessments are updated with any changes and are presented to your local commissioner in good time, so that events can take place. Risk assessment advice can be found on the Girlguiding website here. I know that many will be struggling to secure our indoor spaces and we will also continue to offer virtual guiding as a blended offer both now and in the future. As always take care of yourselves and do what is right for you and your unit. Over this last year, I have certainly missed coming to visit activities, events, and units across the region. I hope that as we continue to experience easing of the the lockdown restrictions, it will be possible for me to travel and meet many of you once again. I am always happy to attend virtual events so please do invite me if you wish.
Earlier this month we saw the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh and the amazing legacy that he leaves behind. I know that many of you will be remembering the times when you met the Duke of Edinburgh at awards scheme presentations and possibly other times when he has visited events across the region. I was reflecting on my own participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, reaching the bronze award and taking part in the activities whilst at school. The Duke of Edinburgh did come to an event that I was at, although I never got to speak to him, I know that we all felt really proud to be part of the scheme. It was great to see the memories of those involved in Guiding having taken part in the Duke of Edinburgh, either as participants and achieving awards or as supporter, and enabling his legacy will continue. Don’t forget to get in touch with our Duke of Edinburgh Award advisor Jean Verney angliadofe@girlguiding-anglia.org.uk if you need any support or guidance. I know as a region we have always supported this scheme and so many Bronze. Silver and gold awards have been achieved.
Have you been buzzing?
