Girlguiding joins national volunteer celebrations

Volunteer leaders celebrating The Big Brownie Birthday at Bridgewater Hall

Girlguiding Lancashire South East, which includes Rochdale, will be celebrating its dedicated volunteers in support of Volunteers’ Week 2014, which is taking place 1-7 June, in what is already a very special year for Girlguiding – the 100th birthday of the Brownie section.

As well as Brownie groups, 834 volunteers also run weekly meetings for Rainbows, Guides and The Senior Section, giving girls and young women aged five to 26 the opportunity to have fun with their friends each week.

Part of Girlguiding North West England, a charity with 68,463 members, Girlguiding Lancashire South East includes the towns of Bury, Oldham and Rochdale. With the help and hard work of its 834 volunteers, the county continues to give girls and young women a space to be themselves every week.

In recognition of their hard work, members across the area will be holding awards ceremonies and presenting certificates to say thank you to the volunteers that make Guiding possible on a weekly basis. Members are also encouraged to nominate their local Guiding Idols for a very special ‘thank you’ afternoon tea event which is to be held at the Region Headquarters.

Lynne Scales, County Commissioner for Girlguiding Lancashire South East said: “We often hear about all the fun and exciting opportunities Girlguiding provides for girls and young women but Volunteers’ Week is a chance for us to say thank you to the adults that make it all possible.”

“We want to let everyone know how much we value our volunteers because without them, the girls would not be able to come together each week.”

Ellen Hendry, a Brownie Leader who has received a 50 year lifetime achievement award, added: “Guiding has been such a rewarding experience for me. Alongside making a difference to the lives of girls and young women, I’ve made lifelong friends and had a great time doing it.”

“Some of my best memories are from guiding and the time I’ve spent volunteering has been really enjoyable. There are so many opportunities to learn new skills and meet new people. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone thinking about volunteering.”

Guiding is active across the whole of the UK and in the North West of England we have 14,619 amazing volunteers who give their time where they can. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds, ages, cultures, faiths and abilities.

If you have a couple of hours to give or want to volunteer on a regular basis, explore Girlguiding’s flexible opportunities at www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested