Posts in category: News

We hope thousands of families across Ireland will take part in our IGG Camp At Home Halloween Edition!

You can join us for our Camp At Home on Halloween night Saturday 31 October or, if you can’t wait that long (!) or another date over the mid-term break suits you better, then feel free to choose another day!

The important thing is you join in the fun! With trick or treating postponed until next year, we need to come up with alternative and fun ways to celebrate Halloween at home, hence our IGG Camp At Home Halloween Edition!

Like with our previous Camps At Home, whether you sleep outdoors in a tent or set up a blanket fort under your kitchen table or pile up some cushions in your living room, is entirely up to you.

There’s no need to be short of ideas for activities, crafts, recipes and games to make this an IGG Camp At Home with a spooky twist as we’ve compiled some really fun Halloween-themed ideas in our IGG Camp At Home Halloween Edition activity pack.

However scary you want to make the experience is up to you! Fancy heading outdoors to play Spooky Bingo or make a Magic Potion? Or you might prefer to stay inside and make bats, mummies and ghosts or play Pin The Tail On The Black Cat or, if you dare, Pin The Wart On The Witch. Or how about Musical Zombies or Halloween Bowling?

Of course you’ll need to eat to keep your energy up for all the activities, so why not head into the kitchen at some point and rustle up some Strawberry or Banana Ghosts and Eerie Eyeball Cakepops, which you could wash down with some Snot Tail?

The bravest among you will, no doubt, want to hear some Scary Stories before you snuggle down into your sleeping bags .. and we’ve included some of those too!

Be sure to share photos on social media using the hashtag #IGGCampAtHome or send your photos and stories to communications@irishgirlguides.ie.

And don’t forget to have loads of fun!

We are thrilled to be launching an exciting Space programme, thanks to the hard work and determination of our former Ambassador, Dr Niamh Shaw!

The Space Badge is sure to appeal to IGG members of all ages. The space-themed activities that girls from age 5+ will undertake include rocket-building, stargazing, solar system walks and looking for the International Space Station in the night sky. Guides will also learn about Irish women working in the Space sector and will be challenged to make a model moon base out of recycled materials.

The badge was launched with an extravaganza event, including rockets and explosions, live on our You Tube channel on International Day of the Girl (11 October). We were delighted that Dr Shaw, who is an award-winning space communicator, could join us and astrophysicist and European Space Agency scientist Dr Kate Isaak. Both Dr Shaw and Dr Isaak are former Girl Guides!

Dr Shaw, who was IGG’s Ambassador 2019-2020, said that, on accepting the role, she had been keen to add a Space badge to IGG’s already wide-ranging programme of activities and challenges for girls and young women. “Being the Irish Girl Guides Ambassador was such a privilege,” she said. “I got the opportunity to meet with youth members and volunteers and find out about them as well as to chat about Space, dreaming big and all the technology and science required to explore and protect our planet Earth.

“I set myself a goal to establish a Space Badge packed with space-themed activities about our planet and our place in Space. Working with Frances McCarthy at CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory (who is also an IGG Leader) and adapting the science, technology engineering & maths (STEM) activities included in the ESERO Ireland archive, we achieved just that!

“It’s a fantastic end to a terrific year with Irish Girl Guides,” she continued, “And I’m so proud that, through this collaboration of women involved in Space, we made it happen. That’s what Space Week and International Day of the Girl is all about too!”

IGG Chief Commissioner Amanda O’Sullivan, said IGG was thrilled to partner with ESERO Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and Blackrock Castle Observatory in order to create the exciting new programme. “The Space Badge, which will be awarded to all girls who complete age-appropriate STEM activities on a Space theme, will complement other badges we have introduced in recent years to encourage girls to explore areas they might not otherwise have considered, including Engineering, Aviation and STEM.”

Frances McCarthy, Education and Outreach Officer at CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory and an IGG volunteer Leader in Cork, played a key role in compiling the Space programme with Dr Shaw. She said, “The aim of the Space Badge is to understand our place in space and, while earning the badges, the girls will use many STEM resources and also develop their scientific skills, such as problem solving, team-work and creativity, while having fun and engaging in Space and Astronomy. We hope that, by doing these activities, girls will not only be enthused about Space but might consider a career in STEM.”

Stephanie O’Neill, Manager of ESERO Ireland, said: “ESERO Ireland is delighted to support the Irish Girl Guides’ Space Badge through the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Discover Funding Programme.  SFI and ESERO promote science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and projects like this help girls to develop scientific skills, like problem-solving, teamwork and creativity, using a range of fun space-themed activities, which have been devised for Ladybirds, Brownies and Guides.”

Leaders can find the details of the badge on Online Guide Manager (OGM).

Sophie Cassidy, who is a member of Drogheda Senior Branch and a Leader with St Anthony’s Brownies in Drogheda, spent the summer in Poland leading activities based on the Sustainable Development Goals. Here she writes about her experience:

This time last year I was excitedly preparing for a year abroad, working as a full-time volunteer with the team preparing the European Jamboree, due to happen in Poland in 2020. Myself and a team of volunteers from France, Spain, Canada, Poland and the UK spent the year working in the Jamboree office on various parts of the project, all looking forward to a summer spent camping on Sobieszewo Island alongside 20,000 participants. Unfortunately, the event had to be postponed until next summer but luckily that didn’t mean we couldn’t have the exciting Guiding and Scouting summer we had been looking forward to!

As restrictions across Poland were eased and the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association gave the go ahead for members to return to Guiding and Scouting, we saw an opportunity to keep the jamboree spirit alive. We couldn’t bring thousands of participants from across the world to camp together, but we could bring our own international presence to small camps and events across the country.

Together, we decided to create a day of activities that used the jamboree’s “Connecting Experience” programme – a collection of different games, crafts and discussions based around exploring each of the SDGs created by myself and a volunteer from France. These activities go along with the main theme of the European Jamboree 2020+1, which is all about encouraging participants to act for a better future for themselves and the planet. Along with the activities we chose from Connecting Experience, we each created a short workshop to introduce the young participants to our own cultures and to show what Guiding and Scouting is like for us at home.

Designing our day of activities seemed intimidating at first, even though it was something we were all used to doing. We needed to come up with ways to not only deal with the language barrier but also to work within the restrictions that came along with working in the current situation. But we weren’t going to let that stop us, and we began to think of ways we could still do the activities we had planned but in a safe way.

Once we got down to it, we found we didn’t have to change much at all! It was simple things like laminating the cards we were using so it was easy to wipe them down between groups, and making sure everyone had washed their hands before we started and during each break in the day that helped us stay safe. It wasn’t difficult to enforce these rules because, by this point, washing hands and keeping a safe distance was a normal part of the participants’ daily routines!

We decided to split the group into small pods for the day, meaning that everyone had the space they needed and it was easier for us to know if they knew what we were saying. The small groups would spend time taking part in a game to get familiar with each one of the SDGs, a craft where they would make sponges from old t-shirts as part of the Climate Action goal and a team game based around Quality Education.

Later in the day, they got to explore Canada, Spain, France and Ireland (a socially distanced version of the Walls of Limerick is even more fun to watch than you’d imagine). In the evening the participants would share some of their camping activities with us, teaching us some of their favourite games, inviting us to sing with them around the campfire and even introducing us to some of the typical meals they have on camp, which very surprisingly included putting strawberries on pasta!

Overall, the project gave us and the Polish Guides and Scouts that welcomed us, an opportunity to still enjoy an international experience during this very different summer!

If you’re interested in using the Connecting Experience programme with your Unit and finding out how taking part in these activities is helping to build beehives in Poland you can find it on https://ej2020.org/connecting-experience/

Congratulations to Michelle of Edenderry Brownies who put lockdown to good use by completing ALL her Brownie badges!

Michelle follows in the footsteps of her older sisters, Lauren and Bernadette, who completed the full set of badges in the Brownie and Guide programme respectively.

Here Michelle writes about her experience in Irish Girl Guides:

Hi, my name is Michelle. I am 10 years old. I am part of Edenderry Brownie Unit.

I joined Ladybirds when I was five and I loved earning the badges. So, when I joined Brownies, I decided that I was going to try and earn all the Brownie badges. When Ireland went into lockdown I decided that this was not going to stop me from earning all the badges, like my two older sisters Bernadette and Lauren.

I finished my last few badges by the end of April 2020. I also re-did some of my badges as my Leaders sent some of them out every week.

Some of my favourite badges to complete were Local Knowledge, Cook and Sportswoman. For Local Knowledge, one of the town’s local historians brought us around our town for a tour. It was lots of fun to learn about our town.

For Cook, I enjoyed cooking lots of different food e.g. cookies and scrambled egg. I also liked to learn all of the names of the kitchen utensils. For Sportswoman, I enjoyed telling my Unit about the rules of Gaelic football and what to wear when playing and how much fun it is to play football.

During lockdown I missed meeting all of my Brownie friends and hanging out with them. I was also disappointed that we did not get to go on a pack holiday. But I’m looking forward to moving to Guides with my friends and trying new things.

I am also looking forward to going on camping trips with my friends and other Guides as I have been camping with the Guides before as my mother is a Leader. I also am setting myself the challenge of completing all of the Guide badges.

We are delighted to announce that our new Irish Girl Guides (IGG) Honorary Ambassador is hockey superstar Shirley McCay!

Shirley, who is a member of Ireland’s international hockey team, is the most capped female athlete in this country having earned over 300 caps.

Shirley joined our (mostly online) General Council meeting on 5 September when IGG President Maureen Murphy described her as “a real trailblazer in the world of women’s sport in Ireland” who would be a very positive role model for our members.

Maureen said, “Her motto when receiving her 300th cap was, ‘To every young Irish girl who dares to dream and every old Irish girl who has gone before … this one’s for you!”

Shirley, a former Brownie and Guide, took the opportunity to reminisce about her time as a member of Girlguiding Ulster (she was brought up in Drumquin, Co Tyrone) and showed us her Brownie sash, which she has kept to this day.

Joining the Council meeting, Shirley said, “It’s great to be present virtually with you all today and maybe these kinds of meetings are the way forward at times! I would also like to thank you for the invite to be the IGG ambassador for the coming year. I have been reading up on previous ambassadors and it’s fairly clear I have big boots to fill! It is an honour to have been asked and I am really looking forward to meeting you all in person, hopefully very soon.

“I grew up in a small village called Drumquin just outside Omagh in County Tyrone. I used to attend Brownies and Guides every week in my local church hall. I still remember my Granda taking me along in his little red Peugeot! I started playing hockey when I went to secondary school and, from there, never really looked back. There aren’t many hockey players that come out of Drumquin!

“I got my first cap in January 2007 in South Africa at the age of 18 and, since then, have amassed 305 international appearances for Ireland, which makes me the highest capped athlete in any team sport in Ireland. It is an honour to hold that title and it’s been a lot of years of hard work and commitment. I have had a few disappointments during my career but no doubt the highlight was getting my 300^th cap in Dublin last November as we beat Canada in a penalty shoot out to qualify for Tokyo. Unfortunately, due to Covid we have been delayed a year but crossing everything that we go ahead in 2021!

“In my job outside of playing for Ireland I work as a Talent Coach for Ulster Hockey, so week on week get to coach wonderful young up and coming boys and girls the sport that has given me so much. It is wonderful to give back as well.

“As mentioned earlier, I can’t wait to hopefully get back to some normality and to have the opportunity to meet you all soon, get along to some IGG events, meet the girls and maybe even, if we get to host some international hockey, you would all be more than welcome to attend.

“Thank you again for the warm welcome and I look forward to seeing you in the not too distant future.”

*****************

We are sure lots of our youth members will have questions they would like to ask Shirley!

Shirley has kindly agreed to answer questions about her career, her approach to life and her time as a Brownie and Guide. We are inviting Ladybirds, Brownies, Guides and Senior Branch members to send a video of themselves in IGG uniform asking a question (under 18s must have their parents’ permission, of course).

We look forward to hearing what interesting questions girls come up with! They may find themselves in a video with Shirley answering their question. If we are inundated with questions, we will have to select a number of videos and cannot guarantee every question will be included BUT we will try to include as many as possible!

Video clips of girls asking their questions while wearing IGG uniform can be sent by email to communications@irishgirlguides.ie with Ambassador Competition in the subject line or by WhatsApp to 085 8570565 before 1 October. The girl’s name, Unit, Leader and parents’contact details must be included.

Congratulations to Hilary Robinson who was awarded a 50-year-service pin at our General Council meeting on 5 September!

Hilary has taken on many roles in Irish Girl Guides over the past five decades, always with a cheerful ‘can do’ attitude. She was Brown Owl in Sandford and Taney, Coccinella of St Tiernan’s Ladybirds and has been a Trainer for over 25 years.

She also worked in National Office from 1991 to 2004, initially as the National Programme and Training Secretary and then as Education Officer.

Presenting Hilary with her 50-year-service pin, IGG President Maureen Murphy said, “Hilary is widely noted as an excellent Trainer, especially for her Promise and Law trainings, and for programme planning. More recently, she has been Regional Secretary for Eastern Region and, showing her Guiding spirit, she is always ready to offer herself as an extra pair of hands.”

Hilary said she was pleased and proud to receive the award (and also amazed as she did not feel 50 yet … in her head)!

When asked what she most enjoys about being involved in Guiding, she says, “The girls and Leaders I’ve met, had the pleasure to work and ‘play’ with, the opportunity to be myself and to share my enthusiasm with my fellow Leaders. The fun and the laughs play a big part too.”

Highlights from her 50 years include running a Brownie Unit with girls “who are still my BFFs”, the first time they took Brownies on a weekend Pack Holiday (there was no sleep involved!) and the girls she knew as Ladybirds and Brownies and who are still involved in Guiding.

She described the changes she has seen over the years as “great positive changes as IGG moves with the times”. She mentions in particular the progressive programme that is regularly reviewed and revised and the uniforms “that today’s girls like to wear”.

Hilary, whose mum, sister and daughter have all been involved in Guiding too, said, “IGG gives girls opportunities to develop and experience in a safe way a wide variety of challenges to grow in confidence, independence, resilience, teamwork and learn leadership skills  –  all while having FUN!”

What does she say to encourage other girls or women to get involved?

“You will have the opportunity to do things you never thought you could or would.

You will have a marvellous group of friends of all ages.

You will be supported by IGG every step of the way.

You too will have FUN!”

‘The Bird in the Bamboo Cage’ – the latest novel by award-winning author Hazel Gaynor – celebrates the hope, friendship and kindness among Girl Guides who were imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp in China in 1941. The book, which is a gripping and thoroughly enjoyable page-turner, is based on real life events.

Here Hazel, a former Brownie who lives in Kildare, tells us how she came to write her latest book:

Ideas for a book can come from many places, but waylaid Girl Guide cookies is definitely one of my most unusual sources of inspiration! The story – related in an American podcast I listened to in 2017 – went on to reveal the remarkable true events surrounding a group of British and American schoolchildren (who were also Brownies and Girl Guides) and their teachers, all of whom were taken to a Japanese internment camp in China during World War 2. I was absolutely captivated, not only because WW2 was an event I’d wanted to write about for a while, but because Girl Guides and war simply didn’t belong together. I wanted to understand how it had happened, how the children and their teachers had coped, and what lasting effect the experience had on them. What I didn’t expect to discover during my research was a story of extraordinary hope, friendship and kindness among such unimaginable hardship.

In order to help the children (and themselves) endure and survive their seemingly endless ordeal, the teachers increasingly turned to their roles as Guide Leaders, and to the principles of Girl Guiding. The sense of having a shared purpose, the close bonds of the Guide Patrol, the application of practical skills learned to earn badges, and being willing to lend a hand and always think of others helped to keep up morale of teachers and children during their time at the internment camp at Weihsien in north-eastern China, where conditions were unsanitary and food was scarce.

As an ex-Brownie Guide, the story of the Chefoo Girl Guides stirred a sense of nostalgia and a remembered fondness for my years in the Guide family. Brownies was a huge part of my life as a young girl growing up in a small village in Yorkshire. I vividly remember putting on my uniform every Thursday, and how eager I was to Lend a Hand, just like my character Nancy and the other girls are encouraged to do in ‘The Bird in the Bamboo Cage’, despite the impossible circumstances they find themselves in. During my research for the book I found a copy of the 1974 edition of The Brownie Guide Handbook on Ebay. It was the exact copy I had as a young Brownie!

Just before lockdown (in fact, it was one of the last things I did), I visited Newbridge Brownies and spoke to them about my life as an author, and told them about my new book. It was lovely to see how many of the traditions from my years as a Brownie are still followed today. The Brownie Ring and songs, especially. I thought a lot about the girls in my book as I spoke to the Newbridge Brownies, young girls who were, themselves, about to be thrown into strange and challenging circumstances during lockdown and would also turn to their Guiding skills and principles to help them through these difficult past few months.

As we commemorate key anniversaries of WW2 and learn more about the remarkable girls and boys, women and men who lived through those years, I hope their experiences will become more widely known and that their stories, like the one I share in ‘The Bird In The Bamboo Cage’, will continue to be told.

‘The Bird in the Bamboo Cage‘ is now available in all good bookshops and can be purchased online from Easons.

Irish Girl Guides’ Chief Commissioner, Amanda O’Sullivan, issued the following statement on 9 June 2020:

Over the last couple of weeks we have all seen and heard about the injustice that many black people experience and the racism that exists in society. As an organisation whose mission is to develop responsible citizens, we stand with all our members and their families to create a better world where everyone is valued. Racism is a learned behaviour and, just like stereotypes around the other eight illegal forms of discrimination in Ireland, it can be unlearned (see our anti-discrimination posters).

Within our Guiding programme, we educate and promote equality for all. We pride ourselves on showing respect, being inclusive and equitable whilst empowering our members to speak out and create the change they want to see in our world.

To our black members and staff, we see you, we hear you and we are with you.

To our members who are not black, it is not enough to be non-racist: we want all our members to be actively anti-racist. Last year we, the members of Irish Girl Guides, chose this new Vision for the organisation: Today there can be a place for girls to be themselves, a place where there is diversity, equality, a place to make a difference, and that place is Girl Guides.

Together, we will ensure that all girls and women are not just welcome, but are included throughout the Irish Girl Guides.

United with our 10 million sister Guides and Girl Scouts around the world, we understand that the burden of changing oppressive systems should not be put on those being oppressed. If we want to create a better world, it’s up to all of us – black, white, everyone – to step up and advocate for it. We all need to speak up against injustice in the places where we are.

Our members are all set to take part in a Sustainable Camp At Home the weekend of 5-7 June 2020 and they are inviting children and young people arond Ireland to join them!  

You don’t have to own a tent. You don’t even need a garden. You can simply use rugs, duvets and your imagination to make a den or makeshift shelter indoors.  

That’s what some girls did during our last Camp At Home in April. And the event was such a hit with our youth members that we have decided to do the same again and to invite other children, young people and families to join in the fun too. 

The theme ‘Sustainable Camping and Living’ was chosen to tie in with World Environment Day (5 June) and IGG has produced a helpful Camp At Home resource, which is full of ideas for sustainable activities and challenges that can be undertaken while camping at home.  

These include doing a nature scavenger hunt, recycling old items to make something new, doing a litter pick in your locality and, the favourite of Girl Guides everywhere, making s’mores – toasting marshmallows over a campfire (or a nightlight works too).  

You can download the resource here and we would encourage you to share photos and videos of your Camp At Home on social media with the hashtags #IGGCampAtHome and #SustainableCamping. 

But, most important of all, be sure to have a lot of fun! 

“Our Camp At Home events are a great way to lift the spirits of young people and families at this time,” says IGG Chief Commissioner Amanda O’Sullivan. “Not only for our members, but for everyone. We hope this fun initiative will help people find healthy and positive ways to keep active and busy at home while also taking time to consider the impact on the environment of their way of living and perhaps finding ways to live more sustainably.  

“That could be by recycling and composting more, supporting local producers and suppliers and finding ways to cut down on water and energy usage. These are all small steps we can take and, if we all take small steps, together we can make a huge difference.  

“This ties in with the Responsible Consumerism Badge programme we launched earlier this year, which sees our members learn about the importance of re-use and recycling and the impact of plastic on the environment. They learn how to make beeswax wrap, make games out of recycled materials and upcycle clothes,” says Ms O’Sullivan. 

Thousands of IGG members and their families took part in a nationwide Camp At Home the weekend of 18-19 April 2020.

Some girls chose to camp in tents in their garden while others made makeshift dens or shelters indoors.

Many of the girls made campfires on which they cooked their dinners and made s’mores – toasted marshmallows eaten between two chocolate digestive biscuits – a favourite of Girl Guides throughout the world. Some used their imaginations and creativity to make campfires out of recycled materials while others made (and consumed) edible campfires!

Everyone found our Camp At Home resource pack an invaluable resource as it gave them ideas for games, activities and challenges to do during the camp. The scavenger hunts, crafts and puppet shows proved especially popular, as did the traditional campfire songs.

Camping and overnight events are an integral part of the Guiding experience and, given that this year’s trips have had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, IGG came up with the Camp At Home initiative.

We were thrilled with the response and received over 500 photos from members throughout the country. Parents were delighted too because it boosted families’ spirits and gave everyone something positive to do.

Children and young people are experiencing stress and anxiety at this time, just like adults. They are missing their friends and usual activities, so we have put our thinking hats on and coming up with creative ideas and initiatives to boost their spirits.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page where we are regularly posting ideas for activities children and young people can do at home. You can see lots of photos of our Camp At Home in this Facebook album.

We will be holding another Camp At Home the weekend of 5-7 June, which will have a Sustainability theme to tie in with World Environment Day (5 June). Keep an eye on the news section of our website and on our social media for further information and resources!

Well done to the 114 Senior Branch members who took on the Senior Branch 24 in 48 Challenge with the aim of completing 24 Ladybird Badges in 48 hours (or however many they wished to)!

During the Camp At Home weekend (18-19 April) participants learned new skills, made crafts, learned dances from different countries, made TikTok videos and had plenty of online discussions. While earning their Europe badge, they met up online with Maria Walsh MEP to learn about life in politics at a European level.

Congratulations to the 32 Senior Branchers who succeeded in achieving the Ladybird Diva Badge by earning at least 20 badges each. Wow! Also, to the 67 girls who earned more than 10 badges each. Over 1,200 badges were completed in total over the weekend. An amazing achievement!

Everyone who took part was delighted to have the opportunity to connect with old friends and make new ones, demonstrating that, even during these uncertain times when they can’t meet up in person, the Guiding spirit lives on.

Aishah Morshed of Bandon Senior Branch writes about her experience doing the Challenge:

#SeniorBranchDo24in48 was truly the most unique and fun Guiding weekend I have had in a long time. The entire weekend was action-packed and full of excitement from the very first Zoom to the very last and it wouldn’t have been half as successful if it wasn’t for the enthusiasm and fun-loving attitude that Senior Branchers always bring. Whether it was colouring in aeroplanes together or singing a very out-of-time Safe Cross Code, we all got to embrace our inner Ladybird for the weekend (#ChocolateIsAFruit).

Even with two very full 12 hour days, the energy never dipped as everyone jumped from back-to-back Zoom meetings to posting, liking, and commenting on all the independent challenges to try and earn as many badges as possible. It really brought out the resourcefulness of Senior Branchers as we had to make kites, Tara brooches and musical instruments out of whatever we had to hand.

It wasn’t all silliness and laughter as we also managed to have some thoughtful discussions about badges like Cultural Diversity, Disability Awareness and Environmental Awareness, along with an insightful Q&A session with MEP Maria Walsh about her job and the EU. The experience left me with no doubt that the next generation of Ladybirds truly are in good hands with the next generation of Leaders.

It was surprising how quickly everyone adapted to using technology to run, and participate in, the weekend and yet it still felt like every other amazing Guiding weekend I have been on. I got to meet and talk with new people, learn new skills and laugh and catch up with old friends. The ending was just as bittersweet as always with everyone super tired and yet not quite ready to hang up and say goodbye. The whole weekend was a resounding success and will definitely be remembered for years to come, so a massive congratulations and thank you are in order for the Leaders and Senior Branchers who planned and ran the entire event. You all are a force to be reckoned with and a prime example of what the Guiding spirit can achieve in any circumstance and situation.

Ella Sylvester Collins, also of Bandon Senior Branch, writes:

Being able to take part in last weekend’s #SeniorBranchDo24in48 weekend was a great experience as it allowed a welcome change of scenery compared to the monotony of the last couple of weeks. Being able to interact with people and have conversations about different aspects of the badges during the online meetings brough back a sense of normality to the current situation that is preventing us from attending meetings and seeing each other in person.

I thoroughly enjoyed every part of the weekend as each badge, from making Tik Toks about road safety to taking part in a virtual WAGGGS* campfire from the comfort of my own bedroom, I was kept busy the whole weekend. I had the time of my life.

Without a doubt, this has been one of the liveliest weekends I have had for a while. I hope I get the opportunity to take part in something similar again in the future and would definitely encourage others to take part as well. Hopefully next time the circumstances surrounding it being an online challenge will be different.

It truly was a great experience that I surely will never forget, I can’t wait to see everyone at the next one!

Anna Higgins, a member of Na Huaimhe Senior Branch and a Leader with Navan Guides, writes:

Taking part in a virtual at home camping challenge was a first for me and definitely a first for many others. Senior Branchers from around the country logged online at 9am on a Saturday morning to undertake the challenge that the Ladybird deep inside us was itching to accomplish. Not only were we hoping to earn ALL of the Ladybird Interest Badges, we were also aiming to gain our Ladybird Diva pin. There’s nothing more enticing than a shiny pin to add to the necker!

After a quick opening ceremony and a round of introductions with over 100 of us, we began the challenge. The first badge we undertook was the Ladybird Road Safety badge. This involved us all getting out (within our 2km radius) and taking a video of ourselves in the correct walking/cycling gear. We also had to list the safety rules as a pedestrian or a cyclist, such as walking on the correct side of the road (depending on your activity).

Once we had undertaken our walk/cycle we had to upload our kilometres to the Mishon app. This also linked into the next badge, Sportswoman. For this badge and the Active Body badge we had to attempt six challenges on the Mishon app and post screenshots of the challenges into the Facebook group. Some badges were independent and some were ran entirely on Zoom call.

I found that I was busy non-stop throughout the two days. One thing that took most of the time was colouring! I hadn’t realised just how much colouring the Ladybirds do. Imagine if I went outside the lines, I wouldn’t live it down! Between carrying out science experiments to dressing up as our favourite character from a book, there was such a variety of activities. My favourite part of the weekend was the WAGGGS* campfire on the Saturday evening. While in the middle of the Camp Cape Badge I sang along to some of my favourite songs with my Guiding sisters from around the world. It was a very special campfire as we all celebrated the #sharethelight movement.

Through the use of technology – from emailing to social media and Zoom – we were all able to come together and take part in a challenge while staying at home and keeping our distance, all while having fun. I made new friends, had a laugh with old ones and I learned so much. It was an experience that I will never forget, hopefully it will become an annual challenge.

Camping at home has never been so fun!

*WAGGGS = World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts

Well done to Aishah, Ella and Anna who all succeeded in earning the title of Ladybird Diva!

Calling all our Senior Branch members! Have you heard about the Senior Branch challenge taking place the weekend of 18-19 April 2020?

As well as taking part in the nationwide IGG Camp At Home, all our 14-30 year old members are invited to take part in a virtual 24 Badges in 48 Hours Challenge!

The challenge, which will run from 9am-9pm on both days, is to complete all 24 Ladybird badges in 48 hours. It will be run through a private Facebook group and some activities will also be done online using Zoom. It is FREE to participate but you do need to register at this Eventbrite link in order to take part.

You can do the whole of the challenge or just parts of it, whatever appeals to you. If you complete 20 badges, you will earn a Ladybird Badge Diva Pin! And, if you complete 10, there may well be a special event badge!

The important thing is to HAVE FUN and enjoy the challenge!

Easter is a great time for making crafts and doing Easter activities! 

Irish Girl Guides President, Maureen Murphy, has designed an Easter Challenge that we are sure Ladybirds, Brownies and Guides will enjoy doing. And she’s even offering a prize for one Ladybird, one Brownie and one Guide! 

She has enjoyed seeing all the crafts and activities shared on the IGG Facebook page and, while cocooning, she has drawn two rabbits called Peter and Penny. But the rabbits need some assistance getting ready for Easter! You can download the challenge here. (Please note there are three pages to print).

The challenge is to finish drawing Peter and Penny and to dress them in whatever way you like – you can use crayons, pencils, markers or you can get really creative and cut out some coloured paper or material and stick it on. Be as creative and imaginative as you like! 

We have three fabulous books to give away as prizes to our favourite Easter rabbits – one for a Ladybird, one for a Brownie and one for a Guide.  

To enter the competition, parents are asked to send a photo of their girls’ completed Easter Bunny pictures to communications@irishgirlguides.ie to arrive on or before Easter Monday 13 April 2020. 

Members of Irish Girl Guides (IGG) are setting out to complete 363,104 kilometres – the distance of the earth to the moon – in order to raise funds for our new National Training Centre in Tallaght.

Girls from age five up and our volunteer Leaders will walk, run, cycle, swim, surf, kayak and undertake outdoor challenges over the next six months in order to raise €363,104 to kit out our newly-purchased premises in The Square Industrial Complex.

The centre is currently a blank canvas warehouse that will be converted into offices and training rooms with a Destination Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) lounge where girls and young women can develop their STEM skills and will discover how a career in STEM can lead to positive global impact.

We will be keeping track of our progress on the new Mishon app, which was launched at the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS) Dunsink Observatory, Castleknock, on 22 February 2020 by astrophysicist Prof Peter Gallagher and award-winning space communicator Dr Niamh Shaw.

The outdoor adventure app has been created by Irish tech entrepreneur Brendan Morrissey. Hearing about IGG’s ambition to open a brand new training centre to facilitate our 11,000 members, Morrissey created a specific Mishon Moon section to the Mishon app where IGG members and supporters can upload their kilometres and undertake adventure challenges.

Speaking at the launch, Brendan Morrissey said, “We’re thrilled to be working with Irish Girl Guides and the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies and supporting girls in STEM. Our core objective with Mishon is to get people active by creating daily challenges, dropping augmented reality crates around users to earn points and move up our leader-board to earn virtual badges.

“We’ve been working on this project for the past three years and we can’t think of a more fitting way to launch the app,” he continued. “We hope our involvement can assist IGG with their goal of fitting out their new National Training Centre over the coming months.”

IGG Chief Commissioner Amanda O’Sullivan said she was thrilled that Brendan Morrissey had chosen to partner with IGG in our fundraising drive. “Our members are never afraid to take on a challenge,” she said. “However, €363,104 is a huge amount to raise and we are thankful to have the support of Brendan and his fantastic new app to help us reach our target. It’s an excellent example of using tech for good and enables us to also teach our members about using apps safely.

“We always encourage our members to undertake outdoor adventure challenges and to engage with STEM and our Mishon Moon initiative successfully combines both these areas while at the same time allowing us to fundraise for our new centre. We have outgrown our current premises and we believe the new facility will assist us in our aim to help girls grow in confidence, independence, resilience, teamwork and leadership skills and, ultimately, to empower the next generation of female leaders.”

IGG Ambassador Dr Niamh Shaw, who is planning to get to space as a communicator and artist, said, “I love the notion of collectively getting to the Moon together using this app. Not only does it reflect the true spirit of all human space exploration, but also the ethos of the Irish Girl Guides. “I have had a fantastic time being the IGG Ambassador and will hopefully end magnificently this summer in achieving our space-themed fundraising goal,” she said.

“All of history’s major achievements have succeeded from the shared passion and united will of thousands of people daring to dream bigger. It’s fitting that the necessary funds for the new centre will be raised by this collective adventure mission and, coincidentally, reflects so much of what I try to communicate in my own personal work. I’m delighted to be involved.”

The Mishon Moon app was trialled in recent weeks by Amanda’s local Guides in Lucan. “The girls loved using it, especially for plotting their way, undertaking challenges, finding crates and earning virtual badges,” said Amanda. “We are in no doubt that other IGG members will enjoy it just as much and, in fact, that girls and young women across the world will love it too.

“We deliberately chose 22 February to launch this initiative because it is World Thinking Day when the 10 million Girl Guides throughout the globe think of one another. We are reaching out to our sister Girl Guides in 150 countries, asking them to help us reach our target by completing kilometres too.”

The Mishon app is free for anyone to download and Amanda said she hoped members of the public would also support IGG’s fundraising drive by doing kilometres and seeking sponsorship using the hashtags #GirlGuidesWalktotheMoon and #MishonMoon. She said, “This is a very exciting time in our organisation’s 109 year history and we hope as many people as possible will join us by downloading the Mishon app, clocking up kilometres and spreading the word to support our girls and young women.

“We will be crowdfunding €1 per kilometre with every kilometre tracked through the Donate button on the Irish Girl Guides website,” said Amanda. “You’ll be able to watch the tracker as it rises and we get nearer to our 363,104km target!

“We are also inviting corporates to join us on our adventure to the Moon. They can help us reach our target by sponsoring an outdoor challenge on the app, by donating €1 per kilometre or by becoming a title sponsor with full app takeover until Mishon Moon is completed and a branded dedicated area in the National Training Centre in Tallaght.”

Join us in #MishonMoon! You can discover more about our plans for our new National Training Centre on this page of our website and you can sponsor our members here.

We are delighted to announce that Amanda O’Sullivan has taken on the role of Irish Girl Guides (IGG) Chief Commissioner.

Amanda, who has been an IGG Leader in Lucan since 1994, has already held a number of high-profile posts in the organisation. These have included Eastern Region Commissioner, Chair of Brownie Branch, Chair of the IT Strategy Team and two terms as Assistant Chief Commissioner.

Amanda, who joined Guides at the age of 11 while living with her family in Ashbourne, Co Meath, has been a Leader with three IGG branches – Ladybirds, Brownies and Guides.

Amanda took up her new role on Saturday 7 December at a meeting of IGG’s Executive Committee in the IGG National Office in Donnybrook. A specially crafted golden Trefoil badge was passed on to her from the outgoing Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon.

“The Trefoil symbolises the history of the organisation and the important role the Chief Commissioner plays,” explained Helen. “She is the Chair of the board and the lead volunteer. The Trefoil was introduced in 1957 by the then Chief Commissioner Eileen Beatty. Prior to that, the only Chiefs of this long-running organisation had been the Viscountess Powerscourts.”

Helen went on to say that she knew Amanda would make an excellent Chief Commissioner. “She brings a supreme knowledge of the organisation from grassroots to board table with her,” she said. “Having worked with Amanda in her role of Assistant Chief Commissioner, I have closely seen her dedication to the Girl Guides and, together with the board, she will lead the movement through the next three years with aplomb.”

Amanda said she was looking forward to the challenges and opportunities afforded by the new role. “Irish Girl Guides is a volunteer-led youth organisation and the role of the Chief Commissioner is a volunteer role,” she said. “The Chief Commissioner chairs the board and promotes the strategic direction of the organisation. I am looking forward to sharing this leadership journey with a fantastic team of volunteers and supported by the staff in the organisation.

“Over the next triennium, there are a number of challenges facing us. We must support our Leaders as we embed the changes that charity regulation and good governance rules and regulations have brought. We will have the excitement and challenge of the relocation of our National Office to an IGG National Training Centre in Tallaght and we must grow our membership and our external profile to support our aim of empowering girls and young women.”

Amanda said she was looking forward to meeting many of the inspirational women in IGG who, on a weekly basis, promote the girl-only space for the development of girls and young women. “I am excited to continue to deliver fantastic opportunities and programmes for all members and support our Leaders who will be the drivers for our success,” she added.

Even though she will be taking on the lead role of the organisation, Amanda said she was also committed to continuing her involvement with Lucan Guides. “I really enjoy my involvement at local level where I have had the privilege of being an active participant in the Guiding journey of many girls and young women,” she said.

“The mission of the Irish Girl Guides is ‘To enable girls and young women to be responsible citizens of the world’ and I have had the honour of being in a position to make a difference and be a positive influence on the girls and young women as they grow in confidence, making a difference to others and supporting the development of their leadership skills all through a non-formal education format. I have had the pleasure of being part of the journey of girls and young women as they take on leadership roles in the organisation, expanding their wings and taking flight.

“As a Leader at local level is where I get to demonstrate my ultimate passion for the organisation. The needs and promotion of the development of the girl is paramount. I have seen it through the empowerment, leadership and teamwork in the many girls, young women and adult members that I have had the pleasure of joining on their Guide pathway.”