Hello,
‘When I came to write this, I thought about all the events and activities that had been planned this last month but are now postponed with some sadness, but with hope that everyone is safe and well. I’m still busy with guiding and getting used to new ways of holding meetings but I’m sure like many of you, I am missing unit meetings with my guides. I haven’t run a virtual meeting yet, I’m in the “I would like to give this a go” group, but to be honest I haven’t had the time to plan. I keep in touch with my guides by sending them activities and linking to ” Adventures At Home.”
I want to tell you about the additional information that we have put together to assist all leaders, but I would like to emphasise that there is absolutely no pressure for anyone to deliver any guiding at this time. I appreciate many of you are facing challenges and the priority for now must be to look after yourself and your family. The information that has been prepared came from Ann Crome, Growth and Retention Lead Volunteer and was then discussed at the Region Operational group, and now here we are with a great newsletter which was sent to all of you last week. I hope these resources will be of great benefit for all of you (and me) at this time and thank you to everyone who was involved in putting this together.
Remote and virtual guiding support resources
Earlier this month we hosted an interactive Q&A on our Facebook page, it was a successful session and the team of staff and volunteers were able to answer many questions, queries and worries from our members. I want to say a massive thank you to Diane Card, our Learning and Development Lead Volunteer who came up with the idea, and the group of volunteers and region office staff members who delivered the session. Lots of you participated and thank you for your time and questions that helped lots of leaders across the region.
Take a look at our question and answer video playlist here
Virtual guiding FAQ’s on our website can be found here
We are always looking for new ideas for what we can create and deliver to you to keep our guiding going at this time, so do keep a eye out for these. It certainly reminds me that guiding is all about team work, working together to achieve our aims.
“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” – Mother Teresa
Take care Tracy
Welcome to our remote & virtual guiding support blog, it includes support and resources for all leaders to assist with guiding at this time. Full ideas on how to keep in touch with your unit, delivering online meetings, if you wish to and information for you to download and send to parents in a ‘newsletter’ format.
There will be additional resources introduced over the coming weeks which will be shared in our monthly region newsletter, ‘Signpost’. If you don’t already receive this please review your marketing preferences on GO.
It’s okay to just be
At Anglia region we are aware that many of you are taking a break from guiding during the coronavirus lock down. If you are feeling under pressure to achieve while you are in lock down, remember that the most important thing you can do right now is look after yourself and your family. It’s okay just to be.
Remote guiding support
If, however, you are wanting to send something to your girls, but are struggling for time and ideas, then we have put together a series of section support newsletters for unit leaders to pick up and use.
These simple support newsletters can be sent to your girls’ parents, using the normal guidance for communicating with parents. These can be used standalone or you can add your own unit specific activities and/or ask the girls to send you evidence for the badges, changing them as you wish.
These are the first in a series of four, each set containing newsletters tailored to each specific section, prepared especially for you. The following info sheets will be sent to you approximately every 3 weeks, two per half term. These will be numbered, rather than dated, so please feel free to just send them out in number order within your own timescale.
Section support newsletters – set 1
Section support newsletters – set 2
Section support newsletters – set 3
Section support newsletters – set 4
If you have any ideas or suggestions for future content, then please contact us using the link below.
Online guiding & virtual unit meetings
Online guiding is something that some leaders have embraced, however this is not a requirement or expectation. It is completely optional.
If you do want to give online guiding a go, but need help getting started, we have put together a range of ‘how to’ guides to get our members going with conferencing and streaming platforms. The how to guides feature Zoom, Facebook Live and Microsoft Teams, with the authors having used them for their own unit meetings over the past few weeks. You can have a look and try the one that best suits you, they are not section specific.
Whilst we don’t endorse any specific platform we have included on each guide how to use the platform as securely as possible. Please read the terms and conditions of your chosen platform and risk assess as you would for any non-virtual meeting. It is essential to be safe and secure and parents will also make their own decisions on their child’s participation as they do for any guiding activity.
You can find more general information on access to permission forms, policies and getting started with online guiding and virtual unit meetings with the link below.
Helpful resources
Some of our region volunteers have shared some of their virtual session plans with us which you can also access from the Girlguiding Anglia website.
An update from Girlguiding about coronavirus can be found online alongside answers to FAQ’s about guiding during the lock down.
Please remember that you are not expected to move your guiding online – we understand if you would rather take a break until things return to something more normal. It’s important that you all take care of yourselves and your families at the moment.
Anglia region is here to help you, so please get in touch if you need us
Welcome to all of you at home! Here’s our contribution to staying safe & well. The first part is a practical tool kit to help organise and stay connected, followed by reflections on and suggestions for developing mindfulness. The last part contains a wealth of resources for ideas and fun, jump to that section first for activities you can do and share!
Keeping connected
With the present situation having an unknown end date, remote meetings are one-way units are connecting or planning to connect in the next few weeks. We even have brand new units starting up completely online as a long-term, permanent flexible guiding option! Some units have chosen to use email newsletters to share activities whilst others are taking a break, whatever you choose to do as a leader please feel you have the full support of Girlguiding Anglia.
1. Online meetings
We are all learning as we go and following Girlguiding groups on Twitter and Facebook can be a brilliant way of learning from other leaders in the same situation and a great platform to ask questions to those with more experience. On Facebook search for ‘Girlguiding For Members’ where there is a really good discussion between leaders on how different units are exploring online meetings. The main advice from leaders was to start small, build up and connect with each other for support.
There is no rush to implement any type of virtual meeting if at all. If you do decide to have a go, remember to take your time and do whatever is best for your own circumstances and unit. Our training teams are looking to develop some support for leaders and more information will follow as it becomes available.
If you feel confident and would like to have a go here is some step by step advice from our members on starting up online meetings:
- Decide which online platform you would like to use or shortlist a few to try amongst leaders. If you already use Facebook to communicate with parents or young women messenger may be the simplest way to start.
- Trial the online platform you want to use first by holding a leaders meeting. You can even log in and out a few times for different leaders to experience calling and leading a meeting or even try a few different online chat platforms. NB: All the things you do in your unit guiding to keep girls safe, still apply when we go online. So don’t forget that you need at least two leaders joining the call – one should have at least Level 3 of A Safe Space training, and at least one volunteer needs to have a current DBS check. And you should do a risk assessment for activities.
- Get permission from parents to hold online meetings. Use the Information and Consent form to outline your plans and parental expectations before emailing out to gain permission as you would for any activity away from the meeting place.
- Depending on the size of your group you may want to invite just a patrol at a time or the entire unit.
- Remember that meetings don’t have to be the same length as a physical meeting, what works in a hall may not work virtually.
- Be honest, you are learning as well so feel confident to ask for patience. You may even find a parent or young member is able to help with anything you are less confident with – it’s always worth asking!
- Don’t be disappointed if not many members join you at the first meeting. Every household is having to adjust to a new way of life at present, they will need to get used to the new normal as well. Let members join when they feel able.
Some of our favourite online video tools (a more comprehensive list and dos and don’ts and guidance can be found on the Girlguiding website):
- Facebook Messenger. This can be an excellent platform if most of your parents or young women are already used to connecting with the group through Facebook. Group chat is straightforward to use and can be used on laptops, tablets and phones. You will need to set up a chat group with all the relevant contacts, these will already be in your shortcut list if you’re already connected on Facebook. At the relevant event time, you can then go into the group chat and start a video call.
- Microsoft Teams. Teams is a free chat and video meeting software that you will have access to through any Outlook account. Predominantly used within business at present, Microsoft are encouraging less formal use with an easy to use format and a range of easy to follow video tutorials.
- Zoom. You may have heard of Zoom as something many charities are using at present to run their committee meetings. A basic subscription is free for up to 100 participants for no longer than 40 minutes.
2. Newsletters
Online meetings aren’t right for every group and every leader and there are other ways to keep in contact. Facebook can be used for live video, some units have posted live video challenges for their groups, parents then post the members achievements to the closed group and leaders can award badges.
Girlguiding made interest badges and some unit meeting activities available online through the Adventures At Home programme. It might be that a regular emailed newsletter suits your unit best. Again, you can share an activity and ask for photos of members achievements to celebrate over social media or when unit meetings are back open.
A template email used by one of our leaders in Bedfordshire can be found within the volunteer resources on our website.
3. Take a break
Everybody’s circumstances are different and right now you may not have time or feel able to continue your volunteer work with Girlguiding. Feel free and confident to make the right decision for you. All Girlguiding’s resources are available online and are free to access for parents of members and non-members alike, to allow you to inform parents that they are there and take a step back. Don’t forget that your commissioner and their support group are also in place should you need to contact them.
However, you choose to stay connected during this time, remember we are all facing the same circumstances with a guiding family here to support you as well as our young members.
Mindfulness
The change to normality has challenged all of us in some way. Whether we find ourselves not working, homeschooling children or digging deep as a key worker, we know it’s important to find and protect some time for self-care.
To support you in these uncertain times we have pulled together some free resources below that can help you unwind, learn a new skill to enhance your well being or signpost you to further information.
- Headspace. Available as an App or online, Headspace has a free level of subscription with guided meditations for beginners and those looking to connect with a wider global community. Headspace also has activities aimed at children of all ages.
- Mind. Mind offer support and advice for better mental health including telephone service and information for your local area.
- The Wildlife Trusts. If you are lucky enough to have outdoor space or find yourself mainly indoors The Wildlife Trusts have compiled lots of activities to stay connected with nature whatever your environment. Being outdoors in nature helps our mood; create time in the back garden, tend those balcony plants, include trips through green spaces locally when doing essential jobs or bring the outdoors in with activities for making a butterfly or mini nature reserve.
Stay present and do something you love doing every day.
Activities to entertain and engage
During a time like this we can all appreciate our online connectivity and the resources we have available to us at home. Over the next few weeks many of us will be looking to some sort of virtual entertainment to keep our minds occupied whilst spending time indoors, for both adults and children. Last week Girlguiding UK launched their ‘Adventures at Home’ online programme which will include one activity a day on social media and weekly UMAs for all sections on their website.
To keep our girls and members entertained over the coming weeks we have collated a list of interesting and fun online activities that will engage the whole household.
The James Dyson Foundation was set up in 2002 by Sir James Dyson. His intention for the foundation was to engage young adults in STEM and challenge misconceptions about engineering. The website has a resource called ‘challenge cards’ which allows you to download a variety of STEM-based activities which can be done with objects that you would find around the house.
Roald Dahl – Things to do indoors. Over on the Roald Dahl website they have collated a whole range of activities for the children to do indoors, they have separate sections for teaching, watching, doing and making, all of which can be done from home!
Roald Dahl for adults. Let’s not forget that it isn’t just the children who need entertaining during this time at home! The Roald Dahl website also has a great selection of activities and reading for adults too; important for us to engage with things that interest us at this time and keep ourselves occupied too! The adults section has a range of stories that can be read online for free and are specifically tailored to be read by adults.
The Khan Academy. For all the parents out there who have suddenly fallen into the role of ‘home-school teacher’, the Khan Academy have some amazing resources to try out. They provide free education for everyone around the world where you can personalise your learning with their trusted content.
Origami Club. This website allows you to watch video tutorials on 1000s of different origami designs which can easily be done at home. Do you think you could find a way to incorporate this activity into the ‘Creativism’ badge?
Adventures at Home. While the unit meetings are closed Girlguiding is playing a virtual role in the lives of our children by providing enjoyable adventures to do at home. There will be an activity a day over on their social media accounts for anyone to join in on and two-unit meeting activities per section, per week over on the Adventures at Home Hub on the website.
Anna McNuff. Our very own Girlguiding spokesperson, Anna McNuff, is doing a live stream every Thursday evening at 7.30pm on her Facebook page. She will be telling stories she has written; some will be from her unreleased book and some will be short stories she has written from her adventures.
These activities are just simple tools to help our members and girls feel like they can explore a range of different adventures from home and no one should feel any pressure to complete these activities through our time in self-isolation, if you want to relax on the sofa and watch films over Easter, do that instead!
Supporting our members during COVID-19
Strange times.
We are indeed in very strange times, please look after yourselves and reach out to one another. Things are changing daily, with advice and guidance affecting ourselves, our families, our friends, our work and our guiding lives. We need to do things differently and we will find ways to do so over the coming weeks.
At a region level, we have postponed events intending to put these on later in the year. We must keep guiding going throughout this time and by finding innovative ways to support our fellow members virtually, these ways need to be safe and delivered safely and keep the integrity of our programme.
I thought as a way to inspire others, it would be nice for me to share what I am doing with my guides at the moment. As a team we have sent the Guides a postcard to keep in touch, a postcard is visible so that parents can see what is written. We are then collating ideas of badges the Guides can achieve from home and setting a challenge to complete them. I have seen so many amazing posts from our members sharing ideas on Facebook, we are so all creative and resourceful.
Although we are not physically meeting, remember that guiding will always be a platform of support and friendships will remain. Speak with fellow guiding friends if not face to face, pick up the phone, chat via messenger or FaceTime each other. Let’s keep in touch and keep guiding.
Keep smiling, Tracy
