In early December I received an email at work that made me squeak and jump out of my seat. Fortunately, the office was empty and I was able to express a huge wave of excitement without any restraint! I'd just been informed that I was one of six women who had been selected to take part in year 1 of a 5 year Girlguiding project based in Aruba.
This is the first blog post of what will in time become many, so now seems a good time to briefly explain my route to GOLD and the path that led me to this incredible opportunity!
As a child, my sisters and I weren't able to join any clubs, we simply didn't have the money. Dance classes and lessons for musical instruments were just things that other people did. This meant my first experience of Girlguiding was at Secondary School where two close friends were Guides and had weekly meetings that they sometimes mentioned at school. I can only really remember feeling a bit jealous that they had something that bonded them closely, something I didn't understand and wasn't a part of.
Many years later through my work in the not-for-profit sector I was asked to present a cheque to a local Rainbow Unit (5-7 year old girls) and I could never have imagined that it would become a visit that would have such an impact on me for the years that followed.
I presented the cheque and stayed for the full meeting. I was incredibly impressed by the supportive atmosphere that was created by the leaders and was overwhelmed by one little girls revelation to the group when they each shared something that had happened to them in the week.
'I got my hearing aids!'
It was wonderful, the group listened carefully as Sky our unit leader explained to the girls what a wonderful thing this was to have happened and then asked the girls to cover their ears and uncover them again to demonstrate how much louder things sounded- all of this helped them to understand why it was important not to be too loud as it would sound much louder through the little girls hearing aids. What really impressed me, was that each girl in that room would never be intimidated by a hearing aid in the future, they understood what it did and why it was such a positive piece of news to share. I truly believe the world needs more of this kind of friendly and safe learning space.
At the end of the session I had laughed, played, and shared the experience with the girls and I felt curious about getting more involved. It took me a few weeks to strike up the courage to ask if they would want me to help with anything because I didn't think that I would have anything to offer them! When I did speak with Sky, she put my mind at ease and assured me that they always needed volunteers and would love to have me back for more sessions. That was the start of the journey and almost three years on I have completed my leadership qualification, have 11 badges, and Sunbeam is my Rainbow Assistant Leader name.
In three years, Girlguiding has become a crucial part of my life. Girlguiding for me is a non-judgemental, supportive environment that is good for my overall wellbeing and helps to support girls through all the stages of growing up. To be able to switch from work mode into my Sunbeam role on a Friday afternoon does me so much good! I cry with laughter and glow with pride watching our girls grow and develop.
It wasn't until I had settled into the unit that I began to realise that Girlguiding is ultra-local, but locally focussed for 10 million women across the world. These links mean that there are so many opportunities for adults in Guiding to grow and develop and learn more about this wonderful world we live in. I applied for the first ever 'Go For Gold' selection weekend in 2015 to be in with a chance of being selected for an international development opportunity. After being offered a space through a reserve list, participating in one of the most fun and challenging weekends I've ever experienced, and waiting for almost 2 months, I received the email to say I had been selected to be part of Team Aruba 2016.
So here we are, planning for a journey that will be full of adventure and that will be one of the most significant and character defining opportunities of my life. I'm filled with such excitement for the months ahead and look forward to sharing the journey as it unfolds!
