Inclusivity in Training

Where do you belong? Where are the spaces and places you feel safe? Who are the people you feel like you can be your whole, truest self with?  

For me, one of those places is Girlguiding Anglia, whether I’m with my local district leaders supporting a Thinking Day event, leading a group of volunteers in A Safe Space training, or zooming with the trustees helping to make decisions about the future of the region. However, I know that isn’t always true for everyone else. Girlguiding have been working hard to develop the ways we include everyone and you can find out more here: https://bit.ly/3OK8hEV

In my role, as learning and development lead for Girlguiding Anglia, I am overseeing a project to explore what we can do to improve things and I’m going to need your help!

The project is starting by looking at the training for volunteers across the region. It’ll be considering the types of sessions offered, how they are offered, the resources used and the team who offer them – along with lots of other things, as they become clear to us. 

To kick this off we’ve created a survey; we need your voice, because my voice alone is not going to make change! The survey is open until 22 August 2022,  and will be sent to everyone on our mailing list, however, we know not everyone gets our region newsletter, Signpost – so here’s the survey Inclusivity Project Survey (surveymonkey.co.uk)

Please do share this page to your unit team, so we can hear from as many of you as possible. We’ve also included questions about mental health, because we have some work happening in this area too and there are some clear overlaps, so please do respond to those questions as well.  

Once we’ve got the results, we’ll analyse them to find out what you think, what you need and what Girlguiding Anglia can do to be even more inclusive. 

Next steps – I’ll be inviting volunteers onto a task and finish group to develop some of the ideas and take the action needed. We especially want to include you in the T&F group if you’ve felt underrepresented or unheard in Girlguiding but of course, everyone is welcome to apply.  

You can hear more about this opportunity and express your interest in joining the T&F group by emailing me at landd@girlguiding-anglia.org.uk and typing ‘Inclusivity Project’ in the subject – you can expect to receive more information from me by the beginning of September.

From,

Fiona Joines, Learning & Development Lead for Girlguiding Anglia