Buzzin in Bedfordshire
We are very excited about joining in the Anglia Region 50th birthday challenge and can not wait to get started.
For me 2021 is a year of celebration, as well as Girlguiding Anglia, being 50, my unit, 1st Flitwick Guides, and Flitwick district will be 100 years old. It’s a year of celebrating and coming together. This has inspired our theme for 2021 being community, fun and friendship.
To get this underway, during lockdown we have been busy bees working with our local partners, Shuttleworth, Wrest Park and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo to ensure we have some exciting events and activities to launch within the county during 2021.
Our residential centres, Mollivers in Bedford, Haverings and Woodcroft in Luton are all ready to welcome girls for both indoor and outdoor meetings, and when we can, residential events.
I am constantly amazed by how creative our volunteers have been across the county adapting our programme, meeting virtually and finding new ways to come together and have fun and supporting each other to gain new skills. From the community projects including NHS parcels to the Bedford Bridge Walk, the bake off competitions, the pantos, the campfires, the VE day windows to mention just a few. It is truly inspirational and I cannot wait to see what girls and leaders do to make 2021 special.
Guiding is alive, well and buzzin in Bedfordshire and I am extremely proud to be County Commissioner of such a vibrant and exciting county.
Karen Keeling
Girlguiding Bedfordshire County Commissioner
Wrest Park Quest
Girlguiding Bedfordshire in partnership with Wrest Park (English Heritage) has created the Wrest Park Quest creating an opportunity for members to visit a local historic landmark and to complete an Environmental Quest at the Education Centre and go on a Treasure Quest through the glorious grounds.
Shuttleworth Quest – launching 2021
Girlguiding Bedfordshire is in partnership with Shuttleworth to create a Quest. The quest can be completed in an exciting day out exploring the Shuttleworth Collection and Swiss Garden. An opportunity to explore some of the vintage aircraft and take part in activities based on inspirational women, as well as following a treasure trail around the beautiful gardens.
Shuttleworth Vintage Show – 4th-5th September 2021
Some Guides and Rangers members have been invited to take part in the Shuttleworth Vintage show in September. The show displays many vintage aircraft and vehicles and many members of the public dress up in period clothes. We will be setting up a vintage camp, and putting on some traditional camping activities for the public to participate in, before watching the vintage air display. The girls participating will have an opportunity to gain their guiding history badge.
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Challenge – launching Jan 2021
Our latest partnership is with ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. Girlguiding Bedfordshire has links with the zoo throughout our history. We have worked together on a challenge that can be done either individually, in virtual and face to face meetings and is open to any unit that wishes to take part. The challenge includes Animal Fun, Conservation, and the history of the zoo and Girlguiding.
We’re all going to the zoo zoo
Girlguiding Bedfordshire are planning a county outing to the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo as soon as we are able. We cannot wait to see all the rainbows, brownies, guides and rangers exploring the largest zoo in the UK. It will be amazing to get back together and talk to animals.
In the meantime, the zoo has made a video to launch the challenge which can be found here.
Guiding my way at a time that suits me
As part of our response to COVID we have set up lone Brownie, Guide and Ranger units. These units are open to anyone who would like to would like to continue guiding but can not join a regular meeting. The leaders send out activities and use a variety of different ways to communicate and interact with the girls. For more information contact BedsLoneGuiding@gmail.com
We are excited by the opportunities, the planned events for 2021 offer and are delighted to be able to invite, participate in the Wrest Park Quest, the Shuttleworth Quest and the Whipsnade Challenge to our guiding friends across the Region. There are more details of all these events over on our website and we look forward, to hearing your stories and sharing the photos of the fun and adventure being generated, as you take part.
Twitter @Bedsguides
Facebook @GirlguidingBedfordshire
Instagram @guidingbeds
Email cc@bedsguiding.org.uk
Website www.bedsguiding.org.uk
What a year 2020 was! Many units in Anglia started meeting virtually, which was fantastic and a few were even able to meet face to face outdoors or indoors. If your new year’s resolution is to give virtual guiding a go then here are our top tips to get you started:
- Why are rising to this new challenge? Is it to catch up with your young member? Is it to give them support and a distraction during a tough time? Or is it because you want to challenge yourself to something new this year? Whatever the reason there is a wealth of information and other members to support you. Read through Girlguiding’s advice for online guiding.
- Every meeting, whether virtual or face to face, needs at least one leader with Safe Space Level 3, book your place here if you don’t have this training already.
- Explore ready-made activities in Girlguiding’s Adventures at Home hub.
- Subscribe to YouTube channels for activities to easily share. Ours is here and we recommend watching with a comforting mug of hot chocolate 😊
- Read our software guides to help you decide which virtual platform is right for you.
- Explore some options for adapting the Girlguiding programme to suit online guiding. How could your members choose their own activities? Could they simply vote with their hands up or down or would you like to use the software features to do a poll?
- Have you members got badge books to help them work on interest badges at home? Great for girls that can’t join your virtual meetings visit our online shop or call our helpful retail team to have them delivered directly to your door.
I have pondered for some time over what I should write for the final blog of the year, there is much I could say. I have reflected on this past year and how it has created many challenges, opportunities, and adventure within the region. We have faced our challenges with true guiding spirit and looked at the possibilities of what we could achieve within the current restrictions. At our recent region day held, with county commissioners and lead volunteers, we looked back at the highlights of 2020. It was great to reflect on how much we had actually achieved as a region with our virtual challenges, commissioner day, training days, Safe Space training and Facebook Interactive sessions. I’m confident that the virtual offer will now be embedded as part of the programme and will continue to be an option for us all going forward.
I have certainly missed seeing our members and although I have met many of you virtually, unfortunately it is not the same as our face to face guiding. We currently have different areas across the region in different tier restrictions and I’m sure this will continue for many months to come. I want to remind you all that we are very adaptable and flexible in what we offer, and we will continue to support our girls and members through 2021.
You have seen from the introduction; I want to emphasise the importance of prioritising yourself and doing what’s best for you. It is okay to ‘just be’ and do whatever you feel is right for you at this time. When you are ready, we will be here to welcome you back.
2021 will be the Region’s 50th birthday and I am looking forward to sharing with you in January our new challenge, we want to create a ‘buzz about Anglia’ and give you the opportunity to join us in celebrating our birthday throughout the year. On the 24 January we will host our next Facebook Interactive session which will link to our first 50th birthday challenge theme ‘Be an International Explorer’. Throughout the year we will be giving you lots of ideas with activities to take part in with your unit or as members. We will also be spotlighting each county in our Signpost newsletter, so look out for yours and perhaps discover something new.
As we are now on the countdown to the festive season, we have our Festive Fun virtual event on Saturday with two hours of crafts, activities, and competitions to mark the end of the year. I would like to take this opportunity to say once again a huge thank you to all our members. Please take care and I wish you season’s greetings and best wishes for 2021.
Stay safe and keep smiling
Tracy
Hi everyone.
I hope you are all staying safe and well, we have seen a change over the last few weeks with the coronavirus infection rate increasing, which I’m sure you are all very familiar with. As a region we have not experienced any local lockdown as yet, but some areas have been on the watch list. Other parts of the country are currently under tighter restrictions which of course impacts upon their guiding. We want to reassure you that we have plans in place in case an area within our region does have a lockdown situation and support and guidance will be in place.
There is an autumn feel to this morning, and I can’t quite believe we are heading to October already. As we have commenced this autumn term, we are very much looking at our blended offer to our members. A blend which suits you as leaders, your girls, and the situation around you. When I think of a blend, it’s about a mixture of the best things creating a whole, something may be a little different than we have tried or offered before.
All the guidance you need can be found on the Girlguiding website with guidance on risk assessments (remember to make them individual to your situation), lots of help with planning virtual activities, a six week programme plan and guidance on indoor and outdoor meetings. The region website has resources and information to help leaders continue to offer great guiding along with our unit newsletters which will continue through this term. I know the current situation is challenging and we have never encountered this before so we have to plan and review Government and National Youth Agency guidance in order to keep us all safe and well. As a region we endeavour to update our guidance as soon as it is available to support you all.
Recently the membership subscription figure for 2021 was announced by Girlguiding and some of you will have joined the recent Zoom calls with Amanda Medler, Chief Guide and Angela Salt, CEO. They both explained the membership subscription payment and what this goes towards providing, for those unable to join, Girlguiding’s figure will be £17.70, a slight increase from last year. The region membership subscription figure will be £10.00, and we have budgeted on the same amount as last year. I know this doesn’t make up the whole amount as counties will be adding their levy too. I am aware all our county commissioners are working hard to look at their budget in order to keep the costs as low as possible. If you are concerned that your unit will struggle financially, do raise this now with your commissioners, so support can be offered. We will all have to look at grants and other avenues of fundraising too.
I’m looking forward to our next virtual region events with R.O.V.E training day taking place Saturday 17 October and our Under the Stars festival on 24-25 October. These are made possible by our lead volunteers, task and finish group members and our staff members, working together as one team. This brings me back to our Girlguiding strategy, Today, Tomorrow, Together, working together for today and for the future.
Let’s keep our guiding light shining.
Keep smiling and stay safe.
Tracy
#togtherweinspire
