Since Monday 16th March 2020 at 21:00 regular Girlguiding meetings across the country were shut down to follow Government advice around social distancing to combat the spread of Coronavirus. Girlguiding Leaders across Durham South have not let this situation extinguish our ‘Guiding Light’, pulling together to help girls and young women across the County continue learning new skills, being creative and having fun!
23rd Darlington Brownies have been posting ideas for badges on their Facebook page. Some of the parents have sent photos of the girls doing the clauses, with the most popular badges being ‘Baking’ and ‘Painting’ interest badges.
1st Cockfield Brownies and Guides have been sent an Easter pack of activities for them to get on with and they plan to try virtual meetings soon.
14th Darlington Brownies have been emailed an activity sheet to do and have been encouraged to do some Interest Badges.
1st Durham Brownies and Guides have set up a Google Classroom, making use of an existing Google account. They posted a UMA (Unit Meeting Activity) which has built in quizzes / discussion boards and an intro video, posted privately on YouTube, to the activity. They are all being encouraged to do interest badges and have received some activity ideas from our Easter Eggstravaganza and Movie challenge badges.
7th and 8th Darlington Rainbows have been sent a pack of UMAs to keep them busy along side their interest badges. ‘Animal Lover’ and ‘Drawing’ have proven the most popular so far. The 7th Darlington Rainbows and going to try out a virtual meeting and if this is successful the 8th will join in too.
6th Durham City Brownies have been sent a newsletter giving them Brownie / family style activities that count towards unofficial challenge badges (1st Durham’s Easter Eggstravagana Challenge), UMAs and interest badges that they can do without going out and about. Activities have included making fajitas for tea, making a kite, learning how to pump up bike tyres and checking if they have grown to see if they need to adjust the seat and handlebars. They also included things like washing the family car!!!
6th Durham City Guide Unit Leader made a video for the parents’ Facebook group that they could show the girls, reminding them how the programme and badge books work and suggested a badge of the week. They have already had some photos through of first efforts at creating a camp blanket!
Many members around the county are #SewcialDistancing, using the time to sew on their badges, earned and collected, onto uniform and blankets.
The effort and enthusiasm around the county is a testament to our fantastic members! Even in dark times we let our light shine.
“This little Guiding Light of mine, I’m going to let it shine”
