Once a Girl Guide...

Why do you want to be a Girlguiding Advocate?

I could give a million and one reasons as to why I would like to be a Girlguiding Advocate but I think they can be summed up quite nicely in three:

1. To spread the word about the word about the important work Girlguiding does.

The four central parts of Girlguiding are:

We are for all girls.
We give girls their own space.
We give girls a voice.
We change as the lives of girls change.

Every time I put on my uniform to attend a Girlguiding event, I feel proud. Proud that I am making a difference. Girlguiding is a fantastic organisation and it isn't like other clubs, it encourages all of its members to be the best they can and it make the world better for themselves and others. The benefits of the work Girlguiding does isn't just felt by its members but by the wider community. Whether that's encouraging girls to try new challenges, campaigning for an end to Page 3 or researching what girls today really think and feel through the Girls' Attitudes Surveys. Girlguiding makes a difference and I would loved to be involved in making that difference and sharing what we do with more people.

2. To shape the future of the organisation that has shaped me.

I can be quite indecisive but I surprised myself when at 15 I decided I wanted to be a teacher and haven't changed my mind since. However, I only knew at 15 that I wanted to be a teacher because of guiding; it was working as a young leader and thoroughly enjoying planning activities for my Rainbows, watching them enjoy these activities and learn something new that I realised I wanted to do this every day. Teaching therefore seemed an obvious choice. This year as I was doing the rounds of interviews for PGCE applications, every interviewer asked me why I wanted to teach and I always received a positive response when I said because of Girlguiding. In fact one interviewer told me that she herself had been a guide and got her Queen's Guide Award. People recognise the skills that you gain from being involved in Girlguiding. I know I am a better, more confident young woman because of guiding and now I would like to give back. I would like to be a part of ensuring that Girlguiding stays relevant to girls and young women today and in the future so that they can benefit as I have.

3. To encourage others to join in the fun!

People only dedicate the amount of time they do to Girlguiding because they enjoy it. Whether that's going to Big Gig and seeing your favourite artists, gaining a badge or seeing the girls' happy faces when they leave the meeting every week. Girlguiding is FUN! Being an Advocate gives you the opportunity to share that fun with many more people!

Everyday Sexism and Street Harassment

The 2013 Girls' Attitude Survey really made me stop and think.

75% of girls and young women feel that sexism is so widespread in our society today that it affects most areas of their lives.

87% of girls aged 11 to 21 think that women are judged more on their appearance than on their ability.

60% of girls aged 11 to 21 have had comments shouted at them about their appearance at school.

62% of girls aged 11 to 21 (rising to 76% of 16-21 year olds) have been shouted or whistled at in the street about their appearance.

Seven out of ten girls aged 13 and over report further experiences of sexual harassment at school or college. Including sexual jokes or taunts, unwanted sexual attention and touching.

Those facts shocked me, but then I took a step back and thought about it, because the reality is they don't actually shock me as much as they should. They don't shock me because it has happened to me. We used to walk home from the bus stop after school, in our uniform and get honked at by passing cars or teenage boys in the park would shout lewd comments at us. I was walking down a hallway at school when I was 13 and a boy pinched my bottom. I didn't say anything or do anything. I thought it was just one of those things that happens as you get older, you just ignored it and got on with what you were doing. You certainly never shouted anything back or made a fuss because it was just "some idiot in a passing car" or "they didn't mean anything by it", "you should take it as a compliment". Besides you don't know what they might do next, it was better, it was safer to stare straight ahead and just keep walking.

Girls and young women have the right to feel safe wherever they are, whatever time of day it is, whether they are in a group or by themselves.Girlguiding has done a tremendous amount of work in recent years campaigning on behalf of young women for honesty over airbrushing (Tell us the Truth - Girlguiding For Real Images), encouraging them to Be Body Confident and backing the No More Page 3 Campaign. Girlguiding is in my opinion, as Julie Bentley the Chief Executive stated, "the ultimate feminist organisation". With over 550,000 members when Girlguiding decides it wants to change something people sit up and listen. Therefore I would encourage Girlguiding Advocates to support organisations like the Everyday Sexism Project and Hollaback.

The Everyday Sexism Project seeks to

take a step towards gender equality, by proving wrong those who tell women that they can’t complain because we are equal. It is a place to record stories of sexism faced on a daily basis, by ordinary women, in ordinary places.

Hollaback looks specifically at working to end street harassment which they define as

a form of sexual harassment that takes place in public spaces... that constantly reminds historically subordinated groups of their vulnerability to assault in public spaces... it reinforces the ubiquitous sexual objectification of these groups in everyday life.

• Breaking the silence - getting  people to document incidents of street harassment
• Inspiring international leadership - training people around the world to use their skills to build a grassroots movement focused on ending street harassment
• Shifting public opinion - through educational workshops and social media
• Engaging elected officials and policymakers - to address street harassment

These all fit in to what Girlguiding is and aims to do:

We build girls' confidence and raise their aspirations. We give them the chance to discover their full potential and encourage them to be a powerful force for good.

There's more to Rainbows than rain and sunshine

This post first appeared on my personal blog in May 2011 as part of a competition to blog about a volunteering experience (which I won). I thought it would be a good first post here as it outlines some of the reasons why I love guiding and even three years on this post is still as relevant now as it was then.

How can there be more to rainbows than rain and sunshine? I mean duh its basic science! Everyone knows that when sunlight catches raindrops at the right angle (no not A right angle, THE right angle) a rainbow is made but I'm not talking about the rainbows you see in the sky. No, I mean the 5, 6 and 7 year old girls, the youngest members of the Girlguiding family and I'll let you into a little secret...they're my favourite section but don't tell that to my Guide unit! Rainbows really are cuties. Did you know a 5 year old will tell you anything without you even asking...they'll tell you their whole life story if you'll only listen. Last weekend (whilst helping out at Rainbow sleepover) I learnt all about one Rainbow's dog and I could probably tell you his whole life story not to mention the Rainbow's but that's not what we're here for. No, this post is about volunteering with Rainbows.

But maybe I'd better explain a bit more about what Rainbows is, I mean, what's the point in me writing more if you guys have no idea what I'm going on about!! :P Well most of you have probably heard of Guides right? and perhaps even Brownies (no not the edible ones...I don't think you'd want to eat an eight year old girl would you now...because that's cannibalism...but whatever floats your boat. Please Note: Cannibalism is not endorsed in any way, shape or form by me). Perhaps if you're from America you might know Rainbows as Daisy Scouts or from Canada as Sparks. In Ireland they're called Ladybirds and in Hong Kong they're known as Happy Bees but the idea is the same the whole world over and that is, I quote from Girlguiding UK:

"Being a Rainbow is all about learning, developing self-confidence, building friendships and, of course, having lots of fun!"

 And I know that our Rainbows certainly do, take the other weekend for example; it was our annual Rainbow Sleepover almost 20 Rainbows in a hall for one night with more arriving the next day. Hectic is the first word that springs to my mind and hectic it was but more importantly ENJOYABLE!! I spent my Saturday building LEGO cars with small children, yes LEGO cars with multiple parts, no make that 30+ parts and 5 and 6 year olds. But at the end of the day we only lost the arm of one driver and the headlight off one car. I know its not how many people would choose to spend their Saturday but its how I chose to spend mine,building cars and singing songs, all  in between making frantic dashes to the florists to get pink balloons filled with helium because you can't send one Rainbow home without a balloon!

There is reason behind my madness (because sometimes it feels like I really must be mad to do what I do) because at the end of the sleepover, whilst waiting for her parents to come and collect her one little Rainbow said to me that she had really enjoyed herself and would definitely come next year and that next year she would stay the night! It's the little things like that that make volunteering with the rainbows worthwhile, well that and being recognised in TESCO's by them because it make me feel like I'm famous!

So in the spirit of Rainbows, Look, Laugh, Love, Learn. We've had lots of fun. Bye, bye Rainbows (and you lot reading this :P ). Sleep well everyone!