Elmwood division covers the villages and towns of Garforth, Kippax, Allerton Bywater, Swillington, Methley, Rothwell, Oulton, Woodlesford and Lofthouse. We are a division that covers a large area and we have 31 units of varying sizes covering all four sections led by 143 volunteers.
Since lockdown leaders who have been able to have been communicating and meeting online with the girls wherever possible. Some units have held Zoom meetings every week and taken part in a huge variety or fun activities and games, including mug cakes, virtual zoo visits, crafts, baking challenges, drumming workshops, quizzes, scavenger hunts, escape rooms, skill builders and unit meeting activities (UMAs).
Other units have communicated by email and given weekly challenges or delivered activity packs for the girls to complete and one unit held a Virtual Village Show for their Brownies with lots of categories to choose from and prizes to be won. Categories included a bunch of flowers, wobbliest vegetable, sandwich, miniature garden, something made with a power tool and lots more, it all looked like great fun.
There have been virtual camps for Rainbows, Brownies and Guides with den building and lots of fun challenges to take part in. Some of our members took part in the Girlguiding Adventures at Home and Wellies and Wristbands online was a popular event too. Lockdown has inspired and provided the time for some girls to complete interest badge and consequently some Theme awards have been gained, which in turn has meant that we have awarded one Silver and six Bronze awards.
In September one Guide unit returned to outdoor face-to-face Girlguiding, alternating weekly bubbles of 15 and Zoom. The Guides outdoors have been busy lighting fires, cooking and playing games. The weather has been kind so far but they do have firepit to keep warm.
Volunteers in the division have been busy too as we have held several division meetings via Zoom and held two virtual first response refreshers for leaders who needed to update their first response training. On two occasions we have offered our young leaders a space to meet together on Zoom and several of our young leaders have joined in and taken the opportunity to share activities and get to know each other and one young leader has now completed her Young Leader qualification.
Gillian Ainsley
Elmwood Division Commissioner