Month: May 2024

One of our key objectives this year has been to try and find places for all those on our waiting lists. As a division, we decided that a great way to get started was to open a new Rainbow unit! Starting a new unit is a big endeavour and finding the right resources to make it happen is key to its success. Luckily we had have some amazing people across our division. One of our commissioners had some time to commit to administration, while another set out to recruit leaders & volunteers. Our 3rd commissioner got ready to provided hands on training and support to the leadership team as it formed formed. We found a venue and a time that nicely aligned with Brownies & Guides to ensure continuity of Guiding journey for young members. We got the unit underway in the fall of this year.

Within the first few weeks of launching, we managed recruit 2 previous Girlguiding members as young leaders and we found a new volunteer to Guiding to be a Unit Helper. After a little bit of advertising and contacting girls already on waiting lists, we were ready to start our first meeting with 10 Rainbows. We focussed on getting to know each other using the activities from our programme in the “Know Myself” theme. Highlights include drawing Topsy Turvy pictures, making promise baubles for Christmas and painting a rainbow with handprints to use in our promise ceremonies.

Opening a new unit has had its ups and downs. We are still in need of more volunteers to form a committed team and to enable the division team to be able to take a step back. We would also love to have more girls to join us and begin their Guiding journey. It’s been such a positive experience overall. The girls are enthusiastic, the parents are positive and the leaders are learning new things! We hope the unit will continue to grow and offer amazing experiences for years to come.

Feel like volunteering? There is a place for everyone. https://girlguidingleeds.org.uk/volunteer/

Application Deadline: The closing date for applications is 5pm, Friday 17 May 2024

Overview of the Role:

Join our team to help us provide opportunities for girls and young women to develop their full potential

We’re currently recruiting for a County Business Support Officer to have responsibility for business support for Girlguiding Leeds; delivering a high quality service to volunteer members. This is a paid role involving 12-16 hours per week, 46 weeks per annum.

The successful applicant will provide comprehensive support to commissioners and lead volunteers, dealing with day-to-day admin including enquiries, meetings, subscriptions, training sessions, county residential properties, campsites, and more! To do this, they’ll have great administrative and organisational skills, and be enthusiastic about Girlguiding! The role will be a mix of working from home and from the Trefoil Centre.

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How to Apply

For more information about the role and details on how to apply, please read our application pack:

To apply for the role, please download the application form and send to cc@girlguidingleeds.org.uk. 

This role is subject to a successful DBS check.

Girlguiding is always looking at ways that we can support the young members across our programmes. We’re so proud of our volunteers as they work tirelessly to make it happen for their units, their division and our county. It takes a special person to give time to a charitable organisation, and we are incredibly lucky to have so many of these very special people in our County! But we are victims of our own success. There is still so many kids on our waiting lists and we’re always looking for more incredible volunteers.

This past month, our Crown Park Division has been busy doing just this! Our division commissioner Janet Norfolk, Nicky Clark from 3^rd Middleton and her 2 guiding daughters , Hollie (6) and Malissa (13), and Harriet from 51^st Leeds (Hunslet) Guides attended the Middleton Railway Community Day to promote GG Leeds in the hope of recruiting some more, much needed volunteers. Big THANK YOU to this bunch of super stars!

We spoke to lots of different people including members of the public, all the ward councillors for the area from 3 different political parties, to make them aware of our presence in the area and to find information which may be beneficial to us in recruiting volunteers. We also spoke to Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn and the Lord Mayor of Leeds Cllr Al Garthwaithe. 

Jeremy Morton, local journalist from South Leeds Life (free local news paper distributed right across area aswell as online) was very interested in us and has agreed to write an article specifically about GG in the crown park area to help promote local units and call out to potential volunteers. The day was also an opportunity to network with other community groups in the Crown Park area and see what else is available in the area in the hope of providing new opportunities for the girls in our units and to see who else could help us in recruiting new members.

The Yorkshire Evening Post were also in attendance to cover the event as a whole and took photos (with permission) of our stand and the Rainbow and Guide who came to help on the day.

 The event was well attended by members of the public who came to see the railway and enjoy the free steam train rides on offer for the day. We gave out lots of postcards, sweets and chatterboxes to the passing crowds. Postcards were also given to other local community groups to display in their relevant locations in their notice boards and display units to ensure we spread the word across the division about GG.

If you see a postcard, or a pin, or a badge, or a volunteer in uniform, reach out! We need help not only with units, but with planning, finances, building, fixing, cleaning and all sorts! Come join this incredbile group of really great people.