Growing Guiding Project Girlguiding South West England Leader Workshops

Growing Guiding – Underpinning Principles Our overarching aim is long term growth of youth membership Any drive to increase volunteer numbers derives from this National Every girl should be offered the chance to participate in the guiding programme. If this cannot be delivered in a unit setting, it should be offered in a different format Regional

Not a PR or training exercise About quality and flexibility, not numbers Removing barriers, myths & legends, outdated practice Innovative ways of delivering Guiding and getting everyone in who wants to join Action at local level What is Growing Guiding?

Growing GOOD Guiding I’m Guiding in What year are you Guiding in?

What we had already done? Annual Growing Guiding Conferences Commissioner Day Now needed to get leaders involved

Format of Leader Workshops Direct invitations to leaders No cost to leaders – Growing Guiding grant Flexibility & 2 other sessions of choice 75 minute sessions Aim: to help leaders Grow Good, Flexible, Guiding in their area

Objectives for workshops Working with other section leaders Think about local issues and priorities Identify some solutions Develop a local action plan

Topics covered Flexible Guiding – ways to do things differently Excellence Everywhere GO & Join Us – Rainbow/Brownie Managing larger Guide units Moving On Brownie Adventure Guides beyond the meeting place

Follow up Each leader identified 3 key targets, written on post cards Follow up 3 months later What leaders did Whom did they share it with? What worked What didn’t work, and why? Further support required?

Next steps Use follow-up as focus for next Annual Conference, and identify barriers Identify and celebrate successes ‘How to’ guidelines on website Lead Volunteer for Adult Support to use format to provide leader workshops across Region as alternative to County Days

Some of our feedback…………………

Summary Training needs to change attitudes and practice, not just give ideas How and why, not just what Achieve something positive Make a change Take action – get on with it!