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National Good Turn Week will benefit local communities throughout Ireland, says Newstalk presenter Sarah McInerney
Ireland, 27/11/2016 – A whopping 84,000 Good Turns will be carried out by Irish Girl Guides (IGG) members throughout Ireland this week [from 27 November to 3 December]. Girls from age 5+ will voluntarily tidy up their toys, pick up litter, or say something nice to cheer up a friend, while older girls will complete a range of kind acts – from offering to get groceries for an elderly neighbour, packing Christmas presents for those in need, donating blood or supporting a charity.
Speaking ahead of today’s launch of National Good Turn Week in the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, [12.30pm Sunday 27 November 2016], IGG Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon said that, by each of IGG’s 12,000 members doing a Good Turn each day this week, it would amount to an incredible total of 84,000 Good Turns across Ireland.
“Good Turns are at the heart of what Girl Guiding is about,” she said. “A Good Turn is a kind act to help another person without being asked and without receiving payment for it,” she said.
“When girls become members of the Girl Guides, they promise to help other people and to do at least one Good Turn every day. The important thing is that these are tasks which a girl has not been asked to do – they are not chores, but something she notices needs to be done and she just does it. This is a skill we need all young people to develop – to be active citizens helping others in their communities.”
Newstalk presenter Sarah McInerney, who is a former Girl Guide, was happy to lend her support at today’s launch and has committed to doing Good Turns during the week too. “National Good Turn Week will be positive for individuals, families and communities,” she said. “By the end of the week all the good turns will have had a ripple effect, reaching people across the country. You don’t have to be an IGG member to get involved, so today is a call for everyone to join us throughout Ireland. Let’s make it a week to feel good about. When you do your Good Turn, share it with the community on social media using the hashtag GoodTurns.”
Anastasia Fitzgerald, a 10-year-old IGG member from Clonmel, said she was looking forward to doing lots of Good Turns. “National Good Turn Week means to me the opportunity to help in my community and to show how kind and helpful everyone can be without expecting anything in return,” she said.
Sarah Glynn, a 10-year-old Girl Guide from Carlow, said that she was going to make an extra effort to be helpful in school by offering to do jobs for her teacher. She said she would also be aware of any of her classmates who needed help finishing their work and would offer to help them. She also promised her parents to do extra jobs around the house in order to give them a rest.
“I can’t believe that 84,000 Good Turns will be done by IGG members – Ladybirds, Brownies, Guides, Senior Branchers and Leaders – in one week,” she said. “It’s awesome!”
Irish Girl Guides welcomes girls from age 5+ and volunteer leaders from age 18+. To find out more, see www.irishgirlguides.ie or tel: 01 6683898.
ENDS
Contact:
Fiona Murdoch, Communications Officer, Irish Girl Guides Tel: 085 8570565
Notes for editors:
Irish Girl Guides has approximately 12,000 members. Ladybirds are age 5-7, Brownies age 7-10, Guides age 10-14 and Senior Branch members age 14-30. Guiding started in Ireland in 1911 and operates throughout the 26 counties with 1,800 volunteer leaders providing an informal educational programme of fun and challenging activities that foster confidence and leadership skills in girls and young women, enabling them to develop to their full potential and to become responsible citizens of the world. Girls can choose to earn a wide range of badges, including Arts and Crafts, Community Action, Cultural Diversity, Disability Awareness, Drug Awareness, Online Surfer, Science Investigator and Global Traveller.