Feeling empowered to create change

On 19 June I attended the National Youth Council of Ireland’s Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Event called YouthUP Europe. It was held in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin and saw over 100 people attend. The audience was diverse as people from various youth groups, organisations, charities, public and private sectors attended.

The morning started with a welcome address from Ian Power Director of NYCI and SpunOut.  Following this, Leslie Carberry, a representative from the Department of Climate Change and the Environment spoke about the role of young people in Ireland and Europe in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Following this, there was an expert panel discussion with Stephanie Beecroft from the European Youth Forum, Niamh Garvey from Trócaire, Laura Sullivan from CONCORD and Charles Seaford, director of An Economy that Works and investigate at the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity. Stephanie spoke about addressing the political imbalances facing the SDGs and how both the narrators and the story need to change to involve young people. Niamh described the holistic vision of development included in the SDGs and how youth participation needs to be meaningful. Laura mentioned how people are moved by stories that affect their lives and that greater citizen engagement is needed, which may be aided by alliances and personal narratives. Charles used shareholders as an example for lobbying regulation around the SDGs. After hearing from the wonderful speakers, there was a Q and A session, which provoked great discussion and debate.

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sit on the Youth Panel, which focused on the role young people are already playing in sustainable development. Alongside me on the panel were previous winners of the Concern debates, a youth worker who works for ECO-UNESCO, a representative from European Youth Parliament and YMCA, and members of the Polish and Latvian Youth Councils. We all told stories about our involvement with the SDGs. There was a wide array of experiences, but it was clear that we are all working towards the same goal. I described my work as an SDG Advocate for Louth, along with the stories and experiences of the Be an Advocate zone from IGGNITE2017. I mentioned the importance of making young people aware of the SDGs and giving them the tools to spread the message and tell their own story, which we, as Leaders, do at every meeting in Girl Guides. I received amazing feedback and praise for the time I, and every member of IGG take, to educate our girls and give them confidence to tackle any obstacle they may face and achieve their dreams. Following on from our panel, we had a Q and A before breaking for lunch.

The day concluded with us working in groups to create an elevator pitch which we would pose to a Member of the European Parliament. Each group had three minutes to pitch why the SDGs were important, the role of young people and why they should be considered and included at the decision-making table. Each group did this in a creative way and it was empowering to hear all their ideas.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and made loads of new friends. I left feeling empowered and more confident to create impactful change in my community and among Irish Girl Guides.

Innovative water solutions with Lego!

Two hundred Brownies have come up with sustainable water solutions using Lego, which they showcased at an expo in Dublin City University on 16 June!

The girls spent five weeks working in teams of four researching the issue of water sustainability and exploring innovative ways to conserve water.

Each team designed, built and programmed an autonomous motorised Lego model incorporating a range of sensors and motors. Each team also designed a poster with diagrams of the solution(s) they had come up with, the feasibility of executing the project and details of the programme used.

Their work culminated in the expo – similar to the BT Young Scientist Exhibition – where the girls displayed their projects and were on hand to explain to families, friends and visitors the creative solutions they had come up with.

The project, Irish Girl Guides Innovatively Engaging with STEM (IGGIES), is a partnership with Dublin City University’s Learnit Lego Education and is sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland.

Katie of Whitechurch Brownies said: “We got to work together as a team, to work out the problem and solve it.”

Hannah, also of Whitechurch, said: “I enjoyed doing the posters and explaining our idea and solution.”

Clodagh of Celbridge Brownies said: “We didn’t think Lego, robotics or engineering would be so much fun as boys usually do it, but we loved it!”

Elianna, also of Celbridge, said: “It was so much fun and we learnt loads from doing the IGGIES project. I am now thinking I might change what I want to do when I grow up and am looking at being a technology engineer.”

Rathgar Brownies also enjoyed taking part, saying they loved designing their own Lego project and that they really enjoyed the programming too.

Irish Girl Guides Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon said the organisation was delighted to undertake the project with Brownies from Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow and that they looked forward to rolling out the programme to members in other counties in the coming months.

“To kick off the project, 20 of our volunteer female leaders attended a one day training where they up-skilled and learned the technology themselves so they could impart it to the girls,” she said. “Already we have another 20 Leaders and 200 girls signed up to do a similar project in the autumn.

“Irish Girl Guides believes in challenging stereotypes and we have undertaken a number of initiatives in recent years to encourage our members to pursue STEM subjects in school and to consider pursuing careers in STEM.

“We are also committed to encouraging our girls to dream big and to take action to make a difference in their local communities and in the wider world. The IGGIES project is just one of a number of activities we are using to help our members learn about the Sustainable Development Goals and to explore ways in which they can help make the world a better place.”

Yo!Fest at the European Parliament

On Thursday 31 May I had the chance to go on an adventure to Strasbourg with a group of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from around Europe. As a member of the External Relations working group for WAGGGS Europe Region, there are so many great opportunities to meet new people and attend exciting events. Over the past few months, we had been making preparations to attend a European Youth Event called Yo!Fest. Yo!Fest is a dynamic youth-led festival which brings decision-makers and 8,000 young Europeans together to share stories and create solutions. The event was held in Strasbourg at the European Parliament.

I left Dublin Airport full of anticipation for the days ahead. My first flight was to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam I would be flying to Strasbourg. However, thanks to bad weather in Strasbourg, my flight was cancelled and I had to stay overnight in Amsterdam until I could take a train first thing the next morning.

After a six-hour train journey, I arrived in Strasbourg slightly later than expected and headed straight for the European Parliament and to meet up with the other girls from the External Relations group. There were 13 of us in total, from lots of different countries around Europe including Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria, Italy, UK and France.

There were huge tents, an outdoor stage and food trucks set up right outside the parliament. There were even eco-friendly toilets, which used sawdust instead of flushing. In each of the tents, there was a different theme and the activities taking place were based around these five themes. The themes were ‘Keeping up with the Digital Revolution’, ‘Protecting Our Planet’, ‘Working for a Stronger Europe’, ‘Staying Alive in Turbulent Times’ and ‘Calling for a Fair Share’.

On Saturday the whole team attended different events and activities on different topics. In the afternoon, myself and Olivia from Sweden ran a workshop called ‘Empowering Young Women: Use of Technology in Advocacy’ for around 40 participants. We talked about U-Report, which is a social messaging platform built by UNICEF which young people can use to participate in polls on key issues that are important to them. The statistics from these polls can then be used in different ways to try and create change. A few weeks before Yo!Fest, we ran a poll to find out if U-Reporters thought it was difficult for young women to get their first jobs and to find out what barriers young women may face when entering the workforce. Over 15,000 people answered our poll and we shared these results in our workshop at Yo!Fest.

I had the chance to go inside the European Parliament to attend the closing ceremony. It took place in the Hemicycle, which is the big round room where Members of the European Parliament sit during important debates and discussions. The Vice President of the Parliament, Ramon Luis Valcarcel, gave the closing speech. He spoke about the importance of young people being engaged in Europe and having their say in what they want for the future of the European Union.

On Sunday morning before we left Strasbourg, we took the opportunity to have a group meeting to plan for the upcoming events for our team and to review our goals for the coming year. One of the aims of the External Relations working group is to ensure that WAGGGS is visible throughout Europe. We certainly achieved that this weekend in our bright yellow t-shirts!

No organisation is an island!

There is an often-quoted philosophical Zen, which poses the question “What is the sound of one hand clapping?”  Of course, there is no definitive correct answer. The approach lies in the interpretation of the riddle and how each person perceives the problem. Such was the case with the Partnership Event 2018: it was up to Chris and I to mould this event and interpret it as we saw fit and to the benefit of our organisation.

The event was very different from what I had encountered in previous international events, such as The Academy. Here I was both the student and the teacher, learning from my fellow colleagues in Scouting and Guiding and teaching them too, about our unique organisation and the benefits of an all-female organisation. However, with the Partnership event, Chris and I had to sell Irish Girl Guides on a European level and explain why they should consider us as a viable partner.

The event allowed the transfer of knowledge through problem-based learning by providing us with information on partnerships that had been successful such as African Nation Partnership with Sweden as well as those that had struggled such as Guan’s partnership with Finland; it was a fantastic opportunity to see how partnerships evolved.

From the event, I realised that a Partnership is not a solo act, spending hours slaving away on an idea so that it is perfect: it must be a two-way system, therefore when choosing to collaborate  with another organisation, you have to have clear goals for both organisations. In reality, for a good idea to be carried to fruition, it relies on inputs from different people with colourful, innovative and creative perspectives gained by life’s experience, Guiding and Scouting practice and knowledge through doing. Chris and I were very lucky during the event to align ourselves with groups that were diverse through gender, age and Guiding/Scouting experience. From this, I have realised that to form an effective partnership, we must view team projects as a challenge as a multiplayer exercise and some parts will run smoothly and others will have hurdles to jump but it is vital that everyone buys into the overall goal. Partnerships cannot simply bring individuals together in a productive and creative way; they must illustrate the fact that the “whole is greater than the sum of the parts” (Aristotle).

On reflection, I have come to believe that to create an Exemplary Partnership, Guiding and Scouting organisations need to lead by example and, as future Partners, demonstrate the behaviours we wish others to exhibit, so that we can gain their commitment and together we can achieve high standards by inspiring a shared vision.

As an organisation, we must paint a picture that is clearly communicated and comprehensible, a pioneer that searches for innovation, growth and continuous improvement. I think Bob Marley’s words reverberate the overall meaning of the Partnership event – “Though the road’s been rocky it sure feels good to me”. Every successful partnership has its ups and downs but is worth it in the end.

I’m a Senior Brancher! Get me out of here!

We arrived at Orchard Cottage at 7ish on Friday night for North East 13+ Senior Branch weekend. There were some nice horses there, so we looked at them and petted them and gave them carrots for a few minutes even though they didn’t seem hungry. Then we came inside and we all cooked pizza and wedges.

After dinner Mary, one of our Senior Branch Leaders, did a craft with us: we made tie-dye neckerchiefs. The colour of your neckerchief was what patrol you were in. The colours included pink, yellow and blue. We then had a quiz. Some of the rounds were general knowledge, sport, music and logos. The blue team won. After that we had hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows. Then it was time for bed.

The next morning we woke up at 9am and had breakfast. The theme of the weekend was ‘I’m a Senior Brancher! Get me out of here!’, so after breakfast we did a dingo dollar challenge. The teams had to find stars around the grounds of the cottage and the number of stars you found determined how much food you could buy from the Leaders. After the teams picked out their food, they got all the stuff they needed to cook it with such as pots, pans and cookers. We then started to hike to Virginia Lake, which was meant to be around 3km away. We hiked through the forest next to the cottage and got lost a couple of times! It got to the point when the Leaders started hallucinating and Mary screamed “I see a person” when there really was no person. After that, we finally found a way out of the forest which involved climbing through multiple bushes and trees!

We eventually found the lake and cooked our food. After eating we had to do a few challenges that we had been set earlier. These included standing in two counties at once, making a swing, making a net and catching a fish. We hiked back to the cottage all exhausted. When we got back all of us had a nap before dinner, including the Leaders. Then the Leaders cooked us spag bol.

We went to the forest to collect wood for a campfire after dinner. We came back and did a few crafts. We lit the campfire and sang some songs. When we came back inside the Leaders had organised a live bush-tucker trial which involved eating foods blindfolded. Then we ate the rest of the nicer food items. Then it was time for bed.

The next morning, we slept in until 10am. We had a lovely cooked breakfast. We cleaned and packed our bags and it was time to go home. A fab weekend all around!

Brave and Bold at the RDS!

Members of Irish Girl Guides celebrated inspirational women from past and present at the ‘Brave and Bold: The Women Who Made Me’ event in the RDS that IGG co-hosted with the International Literature Festival Dublin and Children’s Books Ireland.

Clodagh (10) of Millmount Guides, Drogheda, Holly (11) of Boherbue Guides, Cork, and Wexford Brownie Leader Gillian McMillan joined well-known authors, journalists, an artist and a politician on stage as well as 16-year-old award-winning entrepreneur and IGG Ambassador Katie Madden.

Gillian talked about her grandmother, Emily McEachern, as a woman who had greatly inspired her. Ms McEachern was the first woman in Ireland to qualify as a dentist. She graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in 1925 and set up a family dental practice in Wicklow. Gillian said: “I like to think Granny has passed on to me her legacy of strength and determination. And I strive to do the same with my two children and through my volunteering with Irish Girl Guides. To keep going in the face of adversity – now that is truly inspiring.”

Holly talked about the US suffragette Susan B Anthony. She said Anthony inspired her because she had played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement in the US at a time when it was not fashionable to advocate for women’s rights.

Clodagh talked about her violin teacher, Heather Oakes. “I have been going to her since I was seven years old,” said Clodagh. “She inspires me to have confidence on stage and not to be afraid to play in front of people, like the way I felt when I first started. She has also helped me take part in Feis Ceoils, music recitals and complete two exams, all of which I have really enjoyed because of her fun way of teaching me. Most of all, Heather has taught me that I can achieve anything with hard work and dedication.”

The other speakers included Senator Ivana Bacik, journalist Róisín Ingle, artist Kate Pankhurst, author Sinéad Moriarty and young businesswoman and Transition Year student, Annie Madden of FenuHealth.

Annie spoke about Maria Cahalane, Head of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, who she described as one of the biggest influences on women in STEM in Ireland.

Jillian van Turnhout, former Chief Commissioner of Irish Girl Guides, introduced the event and the chair was writer and journalist Sinéad Gleeson.

The event celebrated brave and bold girls and women everywhere – businesswomen, artists, politicians and women from their own families – and encouraged the many girls in the audience to become trail blazers and world changers.

Sarah Webb, Children’s Programmer with the International Literature Festival Dublin, said: “We were delighted to team up with Irish Girls Guides and welcome them to the RDS for our ‘Brave and Bold’ event. Our panel spoke about the centenary of votes for women and women’s role in shaping Ireland.”

Adventures in Muckross!

Twenty Guides from St Peter’s Bandon, together with 11 Siamsa and Allin Brownies and nine Leaders, headed to Muckross Venture Centre for the weekend. Caoimhe, a member of St Peter’s Guides, wrote the following super report as part of her Guide Holiday badge:

I was excited as I was packing my bag but then the excitement seemed to ebb away as I was waiting for the day to come. Finally! It’s time to go! I have a quick bite to eat and head off. I sit next to Ailbhe on the bus. For a time both of us read our books, then we talked about what we were going to do when we got there. Ailbhe was wondering where everything was so I promised to give her a tour.

We’re here! We all unload our bags off the bus and rush upstairs to see what bed we get – oldest on the top bed, luckily that’s me! Sarah’s below me.

We all go downstairs and kind of hover around the place – I give Ailbhe the tour, it’s not quite big but cosy.  We’re all called to supper – eggy bread with nutella in-between … So yum! Oh my word, if you don’t like it, it just means you haven’t tasted it!

Then the Leaders sent us up to our bunks to get settled and put out our sleeping bags. Then Caroline came up to tell us to get ready for the campfire: that means getting changed into pyjamas and brushing teeth and getting our camp fleeces. When we got down to the campfire we sang songs, had hot chocolate and then went to bed. Well, the Leaders said to go to bed but most people stayed up, passed around sweets, then we slept.

Saturday – We walked to Muckross Abbey and then up Torc Waterfall. 246 steps! We were quite tired when we got back, but we had a talent show to prepare for. The group that won sang the Macarena – ‘Ladybirds, Brownies Guides, Leaders x 3, Hey, where’s Robert?’ (Robert was 3). We tried to tempt the Leaders to do something but only Caroline went up: she said a poem about a greenfly, yet when we came down to the campfire later, the Leaders jumped onto the chairs and started singing and dancing Mamma Mia. Then there was more hot chocolate. Ailbhe was nearly asleep on my shoulder so we all went up to bed and slept.

Sunday – No, I don’t want to go home! Not today! But unfortunately we have to go home but first we go on a short walk. We come back to packing, tidying and playing!  Although we do have to go home, I had a great time.

 

Darkness Into Light

In the early hours of Saturday 12 May we, St Barbara’s Guides, woke up before dawn.  At 3.45am the rendezvous point was the car park where we received our Darkness into Light T-shirts and high-vis vests.

The 5km walk began shortly after 4.15am and we completed it in less than an hour and a half.

At the end of the walk we all felt like our feet were falling off and we all wanted some breakfast but, all in all, it was a great walk for a great cause.

Feeling proud of ourselves!

Ella, Layla-Grace, Emily, Síofra, Ava and myself – Laoise – from St. Attracta’s Senior National School in Meadowbrook were on Churchtown Brownies Table Quiz Team and we are the IGG All-Ireland Brownie Table Quiz Champions!

 

The first quiz was against local Units and took place in Whitechurch National School,

Rathfarnham, which we were surprised to win. Then we went on to the Regional Round,

which was held in Portmarnock Guide Den and we were so happy to make it to the final. We

all got Regional Finalist Badges and a cute knitting set.

 

The National Final took place in Irish Girl Guides National Office, Pembroke Park, on Saturday

28 April. We met everybody on the team there. There were seven teams, including ourselves,

representing all the Regions. There were Brownies who travelled from all over Ireland. A

Leader who helped organise the quiz took pictures of all the teams outside National Office as

everyone arrived.

 

There were seven rounds and in between each one, they wrote the scores up and told us

the answers for the previous round. When the last round was done the Leaders joined us for

lunch and everybody had yummy Four Star Pizza and a slice of an amazing chocolate

biscuit cake, which was decorated with a Brownie and edible Interest Badges.

 

After ages of waiting and a sing-a-long, we were finally brought upstairs for the prize-giving.

They announced who came second and third and, when we weren’t second, I knew we won,

and WE HAD WON! The teams that came second and third got medals and we got a huge

trophy and a Brownie Lottie doll each and a framed picture of our team that was taken

earlier.

 

We all had a great day and went home feeling very proud of ourselves!

National Brownie Quiz Final

The national final of The Brownie Quiz was held in Trefoil House, Dublin, on Saturday 28 April.  The day was a tremendous success, thanks ​to the hard work of the Brownie Branch Committee.

Seven teams, each representing their Region, took part in a tightly fought competition, where the winning Unit only scraped victory with a three point lead.

The quiz consisted of seven rounds and tested the Brownies’ knowledge in many different areas.

Following the quiz, a good Brownie sing-song and a fabulous lunch, presentations were made to all the Brownies by Branch Chair Margaret O Connor and Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon.

Each competing Brownie received a special badge and a framed photo of their team. Third and second place received medals while the winning Unit, which was Churchtown Brownies, received a wonderful trophy and the girls were each presented with their very own Brownie Lottie doll.

A great day was had by all who attended and the committee would like to thank all the Brownies and their leaders for travelling to National Office. They would also like to thank all the Regional and Area Commissioners who helped run quiz rounds.

First Place

Eastern Region  Churchtown Brownies

Leader: Grainne Sheehan

Second Place

South West R  Shannon Brownies

Leader: Maria O Sullivan

Third Place

North East  St. Killians Brownies

Leader: Veronica Quinn

 

South East          St. Bridget’s Brownies Leader: Cel Fennessy

Mid West            St. Bridget’s Brownies Leader: Evelyn Hayes

WCM                    Abbey Brownies  Leader: Michaela Barrington

North West         Moy Brownies  Leader:  Jackie Lavelle

IGG Overview 2017 now online!

You can now see the IGG Overview 2017 online here.

The booklet presents some fascinating facts about Irish Girl Guides in 2017 and looks at some highlights, including international camp IGGNITE2017, our inaugural Lego Robotics academies, launch of the Brownie Lottie doll and our Cookie Month during which our members raised over €30,000 for units around the country. Also featured are the National Guide Awards, our 50-year Service Awards and how our members of all ages have been learning about the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sinéad Burke, aka Minnie Mélange, also makes an appearance. Sinéad was a fantastic Ambassador for us during 2017. Throughout the year she was a wonderful advocate for Irish Girl Guides and we thank her for her time.

Three Guide associations at Castle Saunderson!

The three Guide association event at Castle Saunderson was a brilliant weekend that just rushed by!

We arrived in the freezing cold but the next two days were dry and sunny.  After off-loading all our stuff and setting up camp, we headed off with Jessica to the big hall to meet the girls from the other two associations (Catholic Guides of Ireland and Girl Guiding Ulster) that were joining us. We had a great time making bracelets and doing other activities. Thanks to Erin and Rachel who made mine look a lot better than it would have otherwise!

The next morning after breakfast we headed into the woods and tested our outdoor skills by building a fire and cooking sausages. Well needed for our morning activities – climbing wall and crate-building. I have done a climbing wall before and it was great fun but crate-stacking was scary and awesome and frightening and exciting! I did chicken out when I was standing on the 13th crate!

After lunch we all took part in the mud run. The Leaders sat this one out. It was amazing and, after spending an hour running, jumping, crawling, climbing and swimming, we began our raft-building down at the lake. With a lot of luck and some capability our raft didn’t sink and I didn’t fall in. Finally, we headed to the showers to get clean and WARM!

Big thank you to Marie for cooking us dinner. Best needed burger EVER! We all had a great evening around the campfire after such a brilliant day.

On our last morning of camp all three associations gathered together to take part in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and WAGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) activities. These were great fun, especially the tomato challenge.  We all earned lots of badges (I think we should have also earned a ‘we survived the weekend with no phone’ badge)! And, before we knew it, the time had flown past and it was time to down tents and pack everything away.

I would like to give a big THANK YOU to our Leaders for organising and camping with us in Castle Saunderson, especially Sinead, Jessica and Marie.

Check the register!

Have you checked the register to ensure you will be able to #useyourvote in the upcoming referendum?

Here Newbridge Senior Branchers tell you how to check the register and what to do if your address is wrong on the system or if you can’t find yourself on it >>

Go Global

Go Global took place in Dublin on 21 April. Here several IGG members give a flavour of the event …

A Guide’s view

We had an early start to the morning with our bus leaving Kinsale at 6.45am. We shared a bus with Bandon and Ballincollig Guides and it was nice to see some familiar faces. Everybody was very excited for our day out in Dublin.

After the long journey, we arrived at Go Global. We were shown to the Zephyr Room where we had some snacks. We ate outside because it was so sunny for once. I was put into Group One and we did the bracelet-making activity first. It is a traditional Indian craft from Sangam World Centre. Next we went to learn about Timpeall an Domhain. This is a competition where groups do a project on a chosen country. The group of Guides talking to us had won last year’s national competition in their category. They were really friendly and helped us make our own little posters on any country. We did our project on Denmark and it was really interesting to work with new people.

After our busy morning we had a break for lunch. There were a few people that I had met at other camps so it was nice to catch up with them. Hopefully I’ll see them soon on our next trip.

We got back into our groups to do more activities. We learned about Georgia (the country under Russia, not the State in America)! This activity was run by three of the young Leaders that I am going to Georgia with this summer. I enjoyed seeing them again. We learned some of the Georgian language and a bit about their Guides. I think this was my favourite activity because we had a laugh and tried some Georgian date cake.

Next we went outside into the sun for our Kusafiri activity. This is the newest of the World Centres and is different to the others in that it moves around different locations in Africa, hence its name which means ‘traveller’. To symbolise that we were travellers, we painted our feet and stamped on paper plates to make colourful footprints. This activity was fun because I got the chance to talk to new people and I had fun outside in the sun. After a long day, we got onto our bus for our shopping trip. I really enjoyed Go Global and learned a lot about the travel opportunities out there for me. I would definitely go again next year.

~ Sarah C, Kinsale Guides, Co. Cork

International Permit training for Leaders

As a Leader who recently became UCP (Unit Contact Person) of a Guide Unit, I felt that I needed to obtain my International Permit in order to give our girls as many opportunities as possible to travel and experience other countries. Go Global gave me this opportunity.

The training given by Theresa McCarthy, a former International Commissioner, gave us Leaders an in-depth insight into what qualifications Leaders need, what forms to complete for events, and the different types of international events we could experience, such as Jamborees, World Centre visits and international camps. We also discussed the best time of year to go on trips, what type of package deals would be the best option, budgeting and fundraising ideas. The Permit training also covered preparation before travelling such as risk assessment, health and safety issues, and designing a group charter.

Overall, the training was very informative. I particularly enjoyed the memorable stories from other Leaders – often sharing experiences is the best way to discover the dos and don’ts of travelling with Guides.

~ Rose O’Shea, St Barbara’s Guides, Ballincollig. Co. Cork

Go Global for Leaders

I attended the Leaders’ Event at Go Global to find out about international experiences. It was both fun and informative. It was great to actually find out about the experiences and opportunities available to both the Leaders and the girls. Being able to chat to other Leaders about their experiences and ideas was quite intriguing. Also, being spoilt with tea and Danish pastries on arrival, and tea and sandwiches for lunch, also went down a treat.

~ Breda Walsh, Kinsale Guides, Co. Cork

International Permit Training

I attended Go Global as a Leader. The training I attended was for the International Permit. This was my first time applying for a Permit. It is aimed at Guide Leaders and Senior Branch leaders. Even though I am a Brownie leader, I am travelling to England in July with Guides so I felt it was important that I attend a training day like this.

The facilitator was Theresa McCarthy.  I found it a very informative and enjoyable day.  It was encouraging to hear other Leaders discuss how they deal with situations that might come up. I would recommend this course to everyone who is interested in travelling abroad with Irish Girl Guides.

~ Olive Clarke, Siamsa Brownies, Bandon, Co. Cork

Go Global Events Training Day

As a new Leader, I was delighted with the opportunity to head to Dublin and be part of the Go Global training day. I had little to go on so, like the Guides, I was intrigued.

I was impressed how registration ran smoothly into refreshments, and into the course starting. We had a mixed group of experienced Leaders and that gave me further insights into IGG.

We started by looking at the different Global Events available through IGG. International Commissioner Lorna Finnegan is passionate and knowledgeable, and clearly the person to go to for further information on any international events. I certainly enjoyed the direct delivery and lack of paperwork during the course. For Leaders, like Guides, it is important to gather and chat, and I enjoyed the group discussion that continued into lunch.

The second half of the course was particularly interesting. It was about the selection process and what makes a good candidate to represent IGG. Again, some Leaders in the group had recently been away and had great insights and experiences to share. Fundraising was another interesting topic.

In conclusion, the day was informative and friendly and, in a good way, it left me wanting to know more about international opportunities.

~ Olive Howe, St Peter’s Guides, Bandon, Co. Cork

Advocating for gender equality at Commission on the Status of Women

In March 2018 I was one of 11 youth delegates representing the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). I was catapulted into a world of gender and youth rights, policy papers, position statements, UN agreements, and of course all of the acronyms that go along with that!

With over 10 million members in 150 countries, WAGGGS is the largest organisation for young women and girls in the world. This gave us an incredible opportunity to make a tangible difference. I had the honour of speaking at the High Level Interactive Dialogue in front of hundreds of government ministers and policy makers about the importance of placing girls and young women at the centre of the development agenda.

WAGGGS was also involved in the CSW Youth Dialogue, which brought together the 300 young people at CSW to discuss our experiences of gender inequality and what we would like governments to do to solve these issues. As part of the Policy Team, I spent the day drafting the Youth Declaration which reflected the voices of the young people at the Youth Dialogue and those who participated in the online consultations. I was honoured to read the Youth Declaration at the end of the day and present it to the Executive Director of UN Women and the UN Youth Envoy.

One of the best events I attended was run by the Irish Permanent Mission to the UN about the links between gender equality and climate change. Mary Robinson was the keynote speaker at this event and speaking to her afterwards about the impact of climate change on girls and young women was a definite highlight of my experience.

As Ireland was chairing the Commission, I was invited to a number of different events by the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN including the St. Patrick’s Day party. The WAGGGS’ delegation of course also made time for lots of fun, including a cinema trip to see Black Panther on Times Square. Being at a UN conference is exhilarating and awe-inspiring, but it is also very demanding. It was the constant support and encouragement from the other delegates – my new Guiding sisters from every corner of the world – which kept us all going.

Throughout the two weeks, government officials were working on the Agreed Conclusions which all countries commit to in order to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls. We spent a lot of time lobbying to ensure that WAGGGS’ key issues were reflected in the Agreed Conclusions. Some of our key issues included: tackling harmful stereotypes, eliminating violence against girls and women, improving rural infrastructure, and recognising and investing in girls’ agency, leadership, and voice. It was incredible to be told that our hard work had paid off and that our language about sexual harassment and youth inclusion in decision-making was reflected in the Agreed Conclusions.

It was a privilege to represent WAGGGS at the United Nations. As a young Irish woman, it was particularly special to be in the negotiating room when Ambassador Geraldine Byrne-Nason, Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the UN, banged the gavel to mark that agreement had been reached on a strong document for girls’ and women’s rights.

I’ve come home empowered to continue advocating for women’s and girls’ rights across the world. CSW renewed my passion for Guiding and gave me a deep appreciation for the difference it makes to girls’ lives around the world. I now have an even stronger belief that young people can affect change and that their opinions and experiences must be heard in global decision-making.

National Good Turn Week!

Irish Girl Guides members will be carrying out a good turn each day during National Good Turn Week (23-29 April). With 12,000 members, that adds up to a whopping 84,000 #GoodTurns in one week. Wow!

There’s lots of ways girls will be carrying out #GoodTurns. They may help with housework, offer to walk a neighbour’s dog or do shopping for an elderly neighbour. They could raise money for charity by holding a bake sale or by taking part in An Taisce’s Spring Clean with their Unit.

They could let someone go ahead of them in a queue or donate some toys to charity. They could do a good turn for the environment by walking or cycling to school or turning off the tap while brushing their teeth.

We’re asking everyone to share their good turns on social media using the hashtag #GoodTurns.

You can download the National Good Turns Week record here and order badges from the online shop here.

#GoodTurns are a great way of having a positive impact on the people around us – our families and our communities. By carrying out good turns daily, the value of volunteering is impressed upon our members from a young age.

National Good Turn Week links to the Journey Programme in the following ways:

Ladybirds Discover Compulsory Challenge No. 2 “Learn about different ways to help others at home/playground/school.”

Brownies Detect Compulsory Challenge No. 6 “Keep a record of your good turns for a week.”

Guides Pathfinder – Becoming a Guide Compulsory Challenge no. 10 “Keep a record of good turns carried out for a week.”

Tivoli & Whitechurch Guides’ trip to England

Members of Tivoli and Whitechurch Guides went on an adventure to England over Easter. Here three of the Guides tell us about the experience.

First Camille says:

“So over the Easter holidays four Guides from Tivoli and 5 Whitechurch Guides and three Leaders went to the New Forest and London for four nights. We stayed in Foxlease, which is near Southampton. There we did tunnelling; it was raining and mucky! We also did bonding exercises, which were fun.

“We got a bus to London and did some shopping when we got there. After that we went to Nandos. Then we got the underground back to Pax Lodge (one of the WAGGGS World Centres) and had a good night’s sleep.

“The next day we went to Tower Bridge and the Science Museum. Lastly we went to Platform 9¾, which was so much fun!

“On the last day we went to London City Airport but our plane was cancelled. Four of us got a plane from City Airport and the rest of us went to Heathrow. In the end we made it home, though, so that’s all that matters.

“All in all, it was an amazing trip with lots of great experiences. We are very grateful to all the Leaders for putting up with us!”

Rebecca says:

“On 31 March, we woke up early at Foxlease and had breakfast. Then we stripped the beds and cleaned up the barn where we were staying. We then packed our lunch, and left our suitcases in the hallway. Then our taxi came and we drove to a coach station. We drove on the coach for two hours approximately. Then we arrived in London. We got a bus to Pax Lodge and, when we arrived, we ate our lunch.

“We then left our bags in our room and left on the bus again. We stopped in London and started walking to a Guide shop. The buildings in London were very modern and fascinating. There were lots of red buses and red telephone boxes. We went on lots of tube trains during the trip and they were very fun.

“Compared to Dublin, it was a lot more busy and there was a lot more to do and see. Around every corner there were lots of shops and landmarks. When we got to the shop we looked around and bought some souvenirs. We continued on walking and we went to Covent Garden. Along the way I took lots of pictures. When we got there we saw lots of street acts and they were very funny. We did some shopping and afterwards we went to Nandos. Our dinner was very nice.

“We then got the bus home and went to bed. I really enjoyed my trip to London and made some great new friends!”

Thea writes:

“First stop was Foxlease. As soon as we landed we went to get the bus to Foxlease; the bus journey was very long. We took two buses – both of them had WIFI and plug sockets. Yay! When we got there the doors were locked. We did lots of activities, like tunnelling and team-building exercises. We got very dirty but it was fun! Our leaders gave us all a Foxlease badge.

“Next Stop was London. We got the bus to London. When we got there, we got the tube to someplace and went shopping. We got Nandos. The next day we went to the Science Museum and Tower Bridge. Then we got Milanos.

“Then we went to Buckingham Palace. It was soooooo good – we got to go in the grounds because the Queen was a Girl Guide, but we weren’t allowed to take pictures or videos. Then we went to the best burger place in the world – the Shake Shack.

“Then we went to the airport and our flight got cancelled. So Bob got four people a flight – one Leader and three Guides. The rest of us went to a different airport and caught an Aer Lingus plane and we all came home safely. We got home at midnight and went straight to bed!”

IGG’s new Ambassadors!

We are delighted that award-winning entrepreneurs, Kate and Annie Madden, are our new Ambassadors!

The Meath sisters, who were prize-winners at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in 2015 and who now head up a thriving equine health business, were named Honorary Ambassadors at IGG’s annual Council meeting held in Dublin on 7 April. They were chosen in recognition of the trail they have blazed for girls and young women in Ireland.

Kate (age 17) and Annie (age 16) won their prize at BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition with a study that looked at encouraging horses to eat by adding flavours to their feed. Little did they know that three years later, what started out as a science project would turn into a business involving eight people, and with exports to 15 countries over four continents.

FenuHealth produces powdered supplements that are sprinkled on top of equine feed to help prevent and solve the widespread problem of gastric ulcers in horses. The company has earned, among other accolades, an Enterprise Ireland People’s Choice Award in 2016.

Kate and Annie were presented with a Trailblazer Award by IGG President Maureen Murphy at IGG’s Council meeting. “We are delighted that Kate and Annie Madden are our Ambassadors and congratulate them on their many achievements,” said Maureen. “They are inspirational peers for all our members. They are the good news story for young people today.

“In Guiding we support the girls and young women, as individuals, to reach their own full potential in a safe, fun environment that offers many different choices and opportunities. So having Kate and Annie here shows how dreams can come true and how everything is possible.”

On receiving the award, Kate said: “We are delighted to take on the role of Honorary Ambassadors for Irish Girl Guides over the coming year. Some of our school friends are Girl Guides and we are hugely impressed with the confidence and skills which they have. They are all well-rounded people with excellent life and business skills that show themselves in both commercial and social innovation”.

Annie said: “We love the fact that IGG helps girls to develop business skills through their Future CEOs cookie-selling programme and encourages them to pursue STEM activities through its Science Investigator and Engineering badges and Lego Robotics workshops. Our motto in FenuHealth is ‘never give up’ and this is a perfect match for the positivity and enthusiasm which is central to the Irish Girl Guides.

“We are really looking forward to meeting with many of the members in the year ahead. Both Kate and I know that we will learn a lot from the Irish Girl Guides – just as in business, there comes a time when you must stop talking about what you are going to do and just do it! We are really looking forward to being out of our comfort zone and learning new skills.”

 

Cork Guides among first to earn Engineering badge!

The Venue

Cuskinny Court in Cobh, Co. Cork is an old house. Outside there are large gardens and a big area for outdoor activities such as grass sledding and an obstacle course in the forest. Some of us had camped there before but this was our first time staying indoors. There is an extension with 20 dorms. Each dorm room had two, three or four beds or bunkbeds, a radiator, a cupboard and a sink. There were toilets at the end of each corridor. We prepared meals in the kitchen, and ate with our patrols in the dining room and the common room. The common room was large enough to set up extra dining tables and to do all our indoor activities and hold an indoor campfire for more than 50 people. Overall, we thought it was a great venue and we would recommend Cuskinny Court to other Guides.

Friday night

We arrived at Cuskinny Court at 7pm. When we came in the door there was a sheet on the downstairs noticeboard assigning us to our dormitories. We went straight to our dorms with our roommates, chose our beds and unpacked our belongings. We had 47 Guides from Ballincollig, Kinsale and Bandon so it was nice to meet and chat with our neighbouring Guides.

Then we were called to the common room where we were assigned our Patrols and our Patrol Leaders. Our eight Patrols were named after endangered animals so we had the Enthusiastic Elephants, Outstanding Orangutans, Glorious Gorillas, Brilliant Blue Whales, Loyal Lemurs, Super Snow Leopards, Thoughtful Tigers and Powerful Pandas. In our Patrols we made name tags and got to know each other. The Leaders told us we were doing a newspaper fashion show. The theme for the fashion show was ‘The Beast From The East’. Each Patrol got scissors, sellotape, a stapler and old newspapers. We were then told to pick a model and a narrator. Then we proceeded to make beautiful outfits and other accessories. We had 20 minutes to complete this task. Once everyone was ready, each patrol’s model walked up and down the ‘red carpet runway’ while the narrator explained the ideas and inspiration behind the design. We thoroughly enjoyed this activity.

Saturday morning

Dressed in full rain gear and boots, we were ready for our outdoor session with the Cuskinny activity staff. We were split up into two groups at the start. Some people did the assault course and some did grass sledding. In the assault course, we did mud crawling, running through water, getting over obstacles, climbing up muddy hills and crawling through water-filled tyres. It was wet, muddy, slippery and great fun.

For the grass sledging, we had to walk to the hill where we were given a safety helmet and a sled. The sleds had caterpillar tracks and brakes. We were put into pairs. One person got on the sled and the other gave them a push start. After a few rounds where everyone had a go, we moved further up the hill. Then we did relay races. On the count of three, each team sent their first racer down the hill as fast as they could. Once that team member reached the bottom of the hill, they raced back up the track dragging their sled as fast as they could to pass it to the next team member. Afterwards, we all got together to play Temple of Doom, a chasing game with giant inflated balls. Everyone enjoyed the activities and had lots of fun. We took off our muddy rain gear, cleaned up and got ready for lunch.

Engineering Badge

The first task was to discuss engineering in everyday life. Then Patrols were given two minutes to examine a picture and list as many items as possible that were designed and created by engineers. The two winning Patrols listed 37 items from traffic lights and buildings to wheelchairs and aeroplanes. Another task involved a game to match up descriptions of engineers with different types of engineering, for example electronic engineering was matched up with a picture of a person working with cameras and phones. We raced against the other Patrols to match up the six engineers with their job descriptions. Another interesting task was to consider what problems we would face in 50 years’ time and come up with a solution. Some Patrols came up with solutions to reduce pollution while others concentrated on recycling. Other problems we tackled included online schooling, teleportation jewellery and cloning and genetic modification of extinct animals (to fight rogue robots)! We had lots of fun doing this section of the badge because it made us think about future problems.

Another interesting task was to take part in an oil spill clean-up experiment, so we could study the environmental damage oil spills cause and how difficult it is for engineers to find ways to clean spills up. To begin, we watched a demonstration by our Leaders who explained how engineers used different methods to contain and clean oil spills. Once we knew what we would be doing, we worked in our Patrols. The Leaders had prepared all the equipment for us and our job was to decide how we would use it. Each Patrol had a basin of water, a feather (to represent a bird), a pom-pom ball (to represent a sea creature), a teaspoon of cooking oil, a drop of food colouring (to represent a chemical spill) and an ice-pop stick oil tanker. On each stick our Leader had written the name of an actual oil tanker involved in a spill, with the year and the amount of oil spilled into the ocean. To clean up the oil, we chose from a selection of straws, sponges, cotton wool, cloth and cardboard all cut into small pieces. To make our oil spill, we put the boat, bird and sea creature into the water. Then we added the oil and the ‘chemical’. We noticed that the oil was sitting on top of the water and the colouring spread across the surface. We had to find a way to clean up the pollutants before they reached the beaches (the sides of the basin). We found it almost impossible to remove all the oil from the water with absorbers and skimmers. In the end we added soap (washing up liquid) which formed an emulsion with the oil and water and helped us to clean up the oil.

The final big task we had was to create a mechanical hand out of recycled materials. Each Patrol had to come up with a story for the person who needed the hand. Then we had to brainstorm, draw and construct the hand. Each Patrol checked out the recycling materials – string, wool, straws, toilet roll cores, milk cartons, yogurt cartons, rubber gloves, and old newspapers. We made a list and the Patrol Leader collected what we needed. We didn’t get any instructions – just some photographs for inspiration. Our Patrol eventually finished with a hand made of a toilet roll core, straws and string. Our hand could move its fingers. We had to rush to finish our designs. Later before campfire, each Patrol presented their mechanical hand to the rest of the group, along with their design plan. It was interesting to hear the stories and compare the hands.

Night Ramble

Before campfire we decided to go for a night walk.  We all put on loads of layers and wrapped up warm, then got into pairs and we followed the path all the way to the entrance of Cuskinny.  It was so dark that when we turned off our torches we could barely see each other! Then to see if any of the Guides knew everyone’s name, we lined everyone up by a wall, picked a Guide to stand in front and then shone the flashlight on everyone’s face and they would call their name out. Everyone really enjoyed the night walk but we were also happy to get into our warm PJs and campfire blankets for indoor campfire!

Campfire

All the Patrol Leaders met in one room and chose the different songs to use for the campfire.  We chose Campfire’s Burning, Tango, The Princess Pat, On my Honour, Say When, Just a Boy and a Girl, and a couple more. We planned which songs to start and finish with and gave each Unit a specific song to sing. Kinsale chose Little Red Wagon, Ballincollig chose The Bear Song, and Bandon chose Georgie. Every Patrol also had to make up a new Guide song to the tune of an old nursery rhyme. Then we got all the Guides and Leaders into a circle and we began our campfire.  The Patrol Leaders led everyone in song and we had a lovely campfire!

The food

On Friday night we had a supper of sausages and rolls, with hot juice and home-baking. The chocolate brownies were our favourite. For Saturday breakfast we had cereal, fruit salad, juice and eggy bread with Nutella or jam. For lunch we had vegetable soup and made our own sandwiches. Home-baked treats included lemon drizzle cake, flapjacks and cupcakes. Saturday night dinner was chicken curry and rice, followed by Swiss roll and custard. And, of course, more home-baking if we had any room. After campfire we had hot chocolate and, yes, more home-baking. Sunday morning was cereal, fruit salad and Nutella or jam sandwiches. Bringing the home-baking was fun, nice to share, gave us plenty of treats and reduced the shopping bill. We will do that again on our next trip.

Sunday morning

On Sunday morning us Guides and Leaders awoke, rested after an enjoyable campfire and yummy hot chocolate the night before. Encouraged by the morning sun and chirping birds, everyone fell into the Sunday morning routine of setting the tables and preparing breakfast which, as usual, were extra-large servings as the Leaders used up the food! After saying grace, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to one of our Guides and finishing breakfast, each Patrol began their duties. These consisted of washing up, clearing the common room, sweeping out the bedrooms and, of course, the Health Patrol had the unfortunate job of cleaning the bathrooms!

Once the duties were done and the packed bags stacked up, it was time to start thinking about Guides’ Own. Patrol Leaders and some Senior Guides were assigned the job of organising the ceremony. We chose the themes of Friendship and Nature. Each Patrol Leader chose either a song, a poem or a reading and then practised with their Patrol. As we had blue skies, we took the opportunity to have a mini photoshoot outside in the beautiful gardens of Cuskinny Court. Following our close-ups and group shots, Patrol Leaders got us all into position for our wonderful, reflective Guides’ Own, outside in the warm springtime sun. Afterwards our CO presented us with the new Guide Engineering Badge, we were very proud to be among the first Guides to earn this badge. After singing Taps, it was time for hugs and goodbyes to our new friends and old, with everyone already looking forward to our next Guiding adventure.

Jessica is a 2018 Spirit of Community Awards finalist!

Well done to Liffey Brownies Leader Jessica McMahon (pictured left above) who has been named by Pramerica as one of the 20 finalists in the 2018 Spirit of Community Awards.

Jessica will attend the award ceremony in the Aviva Stadium on 22 March where she will be presented with €500 and an engraved silver medallion.

The Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards programme recognises and rewards post-primary students for volunteer work carried out in their communities.

Jessica, who joined IGG as a Ladybird at the age of five, has been volunteering with Liffey Brownies, Celbridge, since 2016, helping them with their badge work and weekly meetings. She helps plan the weekly schedule, organises games and encourages the girls to believe in themselves. She has taught the girls first aid, road safety and other essential life-skills.

“I have gained confidence, experience and a whole lot of amazing memories,” she says. “I’ve learnt how to work with young people and come up with new ideas to give them a whole new experience of learning life-skills and fun facts such as first aid, Spanish, dance etc. Working with the Leaders who were, in fact, my Leaders growing up is an amazing experience and I feel it will help me grow in the world of IGG where I one day hope to run a Unit and become a strong Leader like them.”

Jessica is a member of Celbridge Senior Branch and has appreciated the opportunity Guiding has given her to travel. She visited Germany with Celbridge Guides and Belfast with Liffey Brownies.

“I’ve had the opportunity to camp and see other parts of Ireland, such as Tipperary, Galway and Wicklow,” she says. “I had the opportunity to take part in two international camps, Camp 101 in 2012 and IGGNITE in 2017 where I made many new friends, took on new jobs and challenges and gained a life experience that is priceless.

“I hope to continue to grow in the world of IGG and I look forward to seeing what else I can accomplish. I once heard it said, ‘We rise by lifting others’, and through my work with the Brownies and Girl Guides, I have seen this statement to be true.”

As well as volunteering with IGG, Jessica also volunteers with her school, St Wolstan’s Community School, her local church and St Raphael’s – a residence where people with intellectual disabilities live. She has also raised money for the Marie Keating Foundation and AWARE.

#becomeavolunteer with us!

To mark International Women’s Day (8 March), we are launching a recruitment campaign to encourage more women to #becomeavolunteer with us!

Volunteer Leaders come from all kinds of backgrounds and with different skill sets. Everyone has something to offer and the rewards you will get in return are immeasurable – confidence, fun, friendship and the opportunity to develop your skills and talents.

3,000 girls are on our waiting lists! In order to welcome these girls to Guiding, we urgently need more volunteers! There are many ways to volunteer with us, from working directly with the girls as a Leader or Unit Helper, to support roles behind the scenes.

Watch our #becomeavolunteer video and check out our volunteer page!

#pressforprogress on International Women’s Day!

Happy International Women’s Day! This year’s theme of #PressForProgress highlights the amount of work still to be done to achieve gender equity. I believe tackling harmful stereotypes and discriminatory social norms is particularly important for achieving progress. These norms dictate how girls and women should act, dress, and look, how loud their voices should be, what ambitions they should have, and what subjects they should study. Far too often this key aspect of achieving gender equity is forgotten as we focus on the more tangible issues of education, health and the pay gap. I do not mean to undermine the work being done in these areas but to make progress all work must be grounded in an understanding of these damaging, deeply held beliefs which are often held up as normal.

Ending damaging social norms is a process which begins with empowering girls and young women by investing in formal and non-formal education, providing them with an outlet to form opinions, and giving them the confidence to express these opinions. It is also vital that outlets are provided to boys and young men to develop healthy attitudes towards women and make them aware of the inherent inequality that exists in our societies.

International Women’s Day is so important because it shines a light on the issues women face every day that are too often ignored. It signifies to girls that there are thousands of people working to ensure they have a more equal future. Studies have consistently found that girls need role models to emulate and International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to highlight women’s achievements in non-traditional spheres which often get little recognition.

Having young women attend CSW is vital because it ensures our concerns are recognised in the policy making process. By speaking out on issues that are priorities for girls and young women such as ending gender-based violence, ensuring access to education, and the provision of leadership opportunities, we can ensure that girls’ voices are heard.

Plan International Ireland Youth Advisory Panel

On Saturday 24 February 2018 I got a bus from Castleblayney at 7:50 to Dublin. From the bus stop I walked to Marlborough Luas Station, under the guidance of Google Maps. Once I arrived at Harcourt I made the short walk to 11 Harrington Street, the offices of Plan International Ireland. At the door, I found Grace a Senior Brancher from Meath. When we got there the room was already full of Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) members and Aoibhinn, who is also a Senior Brancher from Cork, was already there. Rebecca and Lewis introduced themselves – they both work at Plan International Ireland. We all got name badges and signed in. We split into groups to try to get to know each other a bit better.

Rebecca showed us a presentation about the work that Plan International does and what YAPs in other countries do. Plan International campaigns for women and children’s rights all over the world. The YAP in Ireland is relatively new as it only started in 2016. There are over 40 YAPs around the world, some are in developed countries and some are in developing countries. Since YAP has started in Ireland, they have collected signatures for a petition against child marriage in Malawi. As well as that, the Irish YAP took part in a project with the French and Belgian YAPs to bring the issue of gender inequality to the attention of the MEPs in the European Parliament. As part of this project, last July the Irish, French and Belgian YAPs got to visit Brussels, to express their ideas to the MEPS.

We divided into groups and each group got to discuss a topic such as International Women’s Day, and then we would swap. It was interesting to hear different people’s opinions on events and issues that affect people in today’s world. After that activity, we got lunch, which was pizzas from Domino’s. After lunch, we split into groups and discussed our dreams and nightmares for our YAP and also what we could do for YAP and what YAP could do for us. One of the most common topics that came up was about getting more boys involved with YAP because it is nice to get more views or opinions on different topics and to balance things out more. We picked a date for our next meeting, which will be held in mid- April and we decided as a group to check if there were any projects that other YAPs were doing which we could get involved with.

Overall, I had a great day at the Plan International Ireland Youth Advisory Panel Introduction Day and I am looking forward to the next meeting.

Nonie retires after 35 years’ service

Barna Guide Leader Nonie Hickey has retired after 35 years at the helm of Sí Gaoith Guides – the Unit she founded in 1982.

Around 70 people attended a special retirement party for Nonie in The Twelve Hotel, Barna, on 24 February, including current and former Guides and IGG Leaders. Among the guests was Hildegarde Naughton TD, IGG Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon, IGG Assistant Chief Commissioner Áine Divilly, National Programme and Training Commissioner Evelyn Hayes and Therese Joyce, IGG Chair of Finance and Leader of Sí Gaoith Guides.

Nonie reckons that 1,500 girls have been through Sí Gaoith Guides since she set up the Unit 35 years ago. Nonie had herself been a Guide while growing up in Drimnagh in Dublin and, having valued her time as a Guide so much, she was pleased to have the opportunity to pass on her enthusiasm for Guiding to generations of local girls.

“In 1982 I was approached by two parents of Brownies to know if I would attend a parents’ meeting and explain what Guiding was all about,” said Nonie. “They had learned I had been a Guide leader. I was delighted and within 24 hours I had become a Guide Leader once again.

“To be back in Guiding was just magic,” she said. “My eldest daughter was one of my first Guides and, when I attended my first meeting in 1982, it was as if I had never left. The spirit of Guiding was just lying dormant and, to be able to work with the girls doing all the things I enjoyed, was great. There is something special about Guiding – the sense of adventure, of learning new skills and building confidence in girls through the programme. And you can go nowhere without hearing the word ‘friendship’ mentioned.”

Nonie had been a shy child and had found that her involvement in Guiding helped bring her out of herself. “I really believe that Guiding broke down that shyness and built my confidence,” she said. “There was never any pressure to do anything, you progressed at your own speed and did the things that interested you. We had great Leaders who were interested in everything to do with the outdoors and I am sure that is where my delight and joy in camping was born.”

Nonie appreciates the many opportunities that have been afforded her during her years as a Leader as well as a Girl Guide. “How many people get the opportunity to go canoeing down the Danube, climb mountains in Austria and Switzerland, visit India and be able to embrace the beautiful culture and do a little bit for children less fortunate than ourselves?” she asked.  “Guiding has afforded me all these opportunities but, most importantly, working with the girls has been a great joy and I have made so many good friends through Guiding. Leaders’ trainings, Branch Weekends and conferences are platforms for making long-lasting friendships.”

Camping has been the highlight of Nonie’s Guiding experiences with Sí Gaoith Guides. “Over the 35 years we camped every year, sometimes two or three times,” she said. “We attended five international camps and enjoyed seven trips abroad. We are very lucky to be located close to a wood and the seashore and, over the years, have been able to use these facilities for outdoor activities.”

As a Leader, Nonie has enjoyed seeing girls develop in confidence and progress through the Guiding programme. “When a girl joins Guiding she will be in an environment that is safe and has no pressures,” she said. “She will be with girls of her own age and make lots of new friends. She can develop her own skills and learn new skills through her badge work. She will get the opportunity to camp and enjoy the outdoors in a safe and friendly atmosphere. As a Patrol Leader, she will develop her people skills and organisational skills, which will stand to her throughout her life. She will have the best time of her life!”

Nonie has many fond memories of the Guides who have passed through her Unit, including the current IGG Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon. “Helen was an amazing Guide,” said Nonie. “Nothing was too difficult for Helen and, if we had a challenge, she would be the first person to say, ‘Yes, we can do it’. She was a great friend to the girls as she got older and would always be very aware of the new Guide and make sure she was part of everything. She has a very positive outlook, a great sense of fun and responsibility and that is why she has been so successful.

“She was one of our first Gold Award Guides and, at that time, there was no formal ceremony for presentation of Gold Awards. The local Scout Unit had been to Dublin for their big award and she was aware of this and she felt that IGG should be doing something for such an important event. She asked me to write to Margaret Dunne (who at that time was Chief Commissioner) and we drafted the letter on the way to the panto in Dublin and the rest is history.”

Nonie has no hesitation in encouraging parents to enrol their daughters in IGG. “There are so many pressures in life for young people today,” she said. “Guiding is the perfect setting for a girl to be herself and, even if she only stays for a short time, the spirit of Guiding will stay with her and be of benefit to her when she least expects it.”

World Thinking Day

Well done to all our members who marked World Thinking Day (22 February) by taking part in ceremonies with their Units and who wore their IGG uniforms to school to mark A-wear-ness Day.

This year’s World Thinking Day theme was ‘impact’ and our 12,000 members joined 10 million Girl Guides in 150 countries across the globe in celebrating the impact of Guiding on themselves and their communities.

Involvement in Guiding has a positive impact on girls, helping them grow in confidence, independence and maturity as they develop essential life-skills. We want to see even more girls have a space in which to grow and develop to their full potential and have an impact on their local communities and, as they grow older, the wider world.

World Thinking Day is a day when Girl Guides across the globe give thanks for the international friendships they enjoy through the Guiding movement and raise money to deliver life-changing opportunities for girls in developing countries.

IGG Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon said: “Everything we do in Girl Guiding has an impact on our lives and the lives of the people around us. My own life has been hugely impacted upon since joining as a Brownie over 30 years ago.

“By taking part in relevant, exciting and fun activities, our members experience positive change within themselves. As they develop different skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, commitment and citizenship, they get motivated to make a positive change in the community and wider world. Hence, Girl Guiding impacts individually and collectively.”

Funds raised this World Thinking Day will help raise money for new Guiding projects, for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts’ Stop the Violence campaign and for grants for girls and young women to attend leadership development projects.

Reflections from Sangam

As World Thinking Day rolls around and my first in over five years celebrating it back in Ireland I am delighted to share a snippet from my experience of calling Sangam World Centre and India my home for 1720 days!

Firstly India -what an amazing country, from the colours, the noise,  the festivals, the vibrancy, the hustle and bustle and the warmth of the people, it was a real honour calling this country my home!  If you even think just slightly you would like to visit India, then I would say GO … the best way to start is to check out Sangam’s website for upcoming events, community programme experience dates and volunteer opportunities.

Another big honour for me was getting to represent the Irish Girl Guides and when I got to see the Irish flag flying high at the opening ceremony of the 107 events that happened during my time at Sangam. There was lots of fun and laughter had when I attempted to teach Irish dancing at international nights and special memories of enjoying Tayto sandwiches while watching and explaining Moone Boy with the Sangam family.

During my time at Sangam I got to meet over 5,000 Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from all around the world! I also got to work closely with 13 other international staff, 36 Indian staff and volunteers in training from the local community, 71 volunteers and interns and 125 tare (community programme participants). So on a daily basis I got to experience the true friendship and sisterhood of global Guiding, have such interesting conversations, learn so much about other cultures. I am so privileged to have friends I can visit around the world from Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Canada, Japan, Kenya, Nepal, Rwanda, Slovenia and Sweden, to name but a few places.

I was also one of the very lucky ones who got to be part of Sangam’s 50th birthday celebrations from the early planning stages in March 2013 right through to the big day on 16 October 2016 when 1000+ friends from around the global and local community joined us in Sangam campsite for the BIG celebrations.

My time at Sangam flew by so fast and I have so many stories I would like to share that I could write a book! However, if I could leave you with one thing from my time at Sangam it is that amazing, wonderful, exciting things can happen when you’re brave enough to try and take the chance on the new and scary opportunities.

By getting on the plane on 19 July 2012, just days after CAMP 101, despite being so nervous, anxious, doubting myself and so tired, I got to experience so much from the kindness of strangers who are now lifelong friends, to being able to call the amazing country of India my other home to  having dared myself  to  do all of the following from driving a rickshaw and scooter, trying Bollywood dancing, hanging upside down in an Ariel yoga hammock, abseiling off the Sangam water tower, to travelling solo in India, including taking an overnight sleeper bus and finding my way around Delhi train station at midnight.

This all happened because I took that first step to apply! So I would encourage you to BE BRAVE when new opportunities come your way, just GO FOR IT !!!

“Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t

and believe that everything happens for a reason.

If you get the chance, take it,

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it”- Dr Seuss!

 

PS I would be more than happy to talk with any Units interested in hearing more about my Sangam experience or to anyone considering visiting Sangam World Centre if at all possible. Please just get in touch through IGG National Office – 01 6683898 or info@irishgirlguides.ie.

Innovatively Engaging with STEM

We are delighted to have received funding from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) to roll out STEM activities to our members.

The ‘Irish Girl Guides Innovatively Engaging with STEM’ project is one of 41 STEM education and public engagement projects to have received funding from SFI. In partnership with Dublin City University, the project will focus on the development of concepts relating to science, technology, and engineering with Brownies (7-10 year olds) in informal settings.

Part of the remit of SFI, through its SFI Discover Programme, is to inspire and guide the best in STEM education and public engagement.

By encouraging girls to explore STEM activities, it is hoped to encourage them to pursue STEM subjects in school and to, perhaps, consider pursuing STEM careers when they leave school.

Two IGG members, Caoimhe Moutray (10) of Dun Olaf Guides and her sister Sophie (15) of Dun Olaf Senior Branch took part in a photo shoot launching the SFI Discover Awards with Minister for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, John Halligan TD, Michal Miszta, Dublin Maker, with his BB-8 Droid, Director of Innovation, Communications & Education for Science Foundation Ireland, Dr Ruth Freeman and Dr Elizabeth Mathews, Assistant Professor, School of Inclusive and Special Education, Dublin City University

Speaking at the launch, Minister Halligan said: “I greatly support the significant efforts being made by Science Foundation Ireland to generate enthusiasm for STEM within the Irish public. The 41 initiatives being funded through this year’s SFI Discover programme will stimulate important public conversations around scientific research and will highlight the individual, societal and economic value of encouraging more people in Ireland to explore science-related careers. By shining a light on Ireland as a hub for excellent research that is far-reaching and inclusive, these projects will pave the way for our country’s innovative future.”