Trainers Conference 2019

I have deliberately left it a whole week before recording my feelings on last weeks national Trainers Conference so that I could reflect on what I saw, heard and felt. It was a very different message that was being put out from the Trainers conference 2 years ago. I have been keeping an eye on Padlet to see comments being made by trainers after the event, but there has been much less than I thought there would be.

They event was run this year as an Unconference, there were several non Girl Guiding "experts" who were facilitating; one of whom actually quoted from the original Open Space book! There were 4 zones to the conference and a very strong digital feel. I have several things I want to follow through on, but the really striking difference from 2 years ago was that then the message had been about everyone training to a consistent quality, all leaders receiving the same material, from standardised training plans, and pre prepared powerpoints that could be amended to suit the audience.

Now it feels like we are being encouraged to look at much more blended learning, that will provide for a new leader to acquire the skills she needs to be an effective leader in a much faster and more effective manner than happens currently, but will suit her lifestyle. We have all known for a long term that the nature of volunteering has changed dramatically, alongside the use of technologies for learning and development. Personally I have felt that Girl Guiding was moving away from needing face to face trainers who require a Training Qualification, as the material to deliver was being handed to them on a platter. I am pleased about the changes that seem to be afoot, but can't help but think when we ditched the NVQ, that I did, and developed our own Training qualification we dropped a great deal of the very theory we talked about this weekend. I am interested to see how that is going to be re-introduced to the revised TQ.

The irony was not lost on me that the changes are being introduced to train leaders at the opposite end of the age demographic than the vast majority of the Trainers at the Conference!

I will never be able to call CHQ "Head Office" that's just not how I think of it. These pictures were "drawn" over the course of the unconference, and hats off to the graphic artist, this isn't an easy thing to do. I know as I've done the training. There is so much to see in them I could look at them all day. I will start to blog tomorrow on some of the specifics I noted to follow up on.

BGIG residential training at Church House

These are photographs from a BGIG residential training weekend from 2003. I found the polaroid pictures attached to the poster the leaders had made during my training which was on Publicity and Promotion. I think they really captured the essence of the fun and spirit we had at these really special training weekends which used to be held twice a year in March & October. I was fortunate to be asked to organise them after the 1st one I attended as a trainer, on the stipulation that Saturday afternoon was given over to the AGM then a walk into Lubbecke (North Germany) for a visit to the lovely craft shop and an amazing ice cream. One year, as my son was only a few months old, and I was still feeding, my whole family came and stayed at a hotel so I could pop out and feed him! 

The facilities were amazing and it was a wonderful opportunity for someone who didn't even have their Trainers Licence yet. I also got to team train here for the first time with a young Canadian Leader called Patti; and hold the 1st Trainers Support Group in BGIG at one of the residential weekends following the introduction of the new Trainers Qualification. I only wish I had thought to take more photographs as these are the only ones I have from some really enjoyable weekends. Looking back 16 years, today's residentials feel different mainly because they are more "educational" and in BGIG we had the opportunity to catch up with each other every 6 months so therefore you could be more collaborative and share resources & ideas more easily. In addition there was the opportunity to act on feedback and try new things out on the next weekend.

I don't know if the Polaroids will last another 16 years, and it's the first time I have every used these types of photos for Scrap booking. I would love the opportunity to go back for another weekend and of course ice cream to Lubbecke!

Programme Bunting

Who couldn't use this  in a Programme Training? Machine Washable but £25 for 32 pennants!

Recruitment Rocks

This is the latest in a long line of recruitment attempts - my husband and I wandered around the local park at the weekend hiding them in time for the half term holiday, and followed up with a village FB post asking the finders to post a photo. The unit is not financially viable, and despite running the new programme with lots of girl led guiding choice, a Mamma Mia themed sleep-over (the girls choice, not ours) and outdoor Adventure planned for this term, numbers are not increasing. 

Write up of our Adventures, Brownies own stories as part of the old Writers badge, and fun photos in the village magazine & website have been received positively by villagers and brownies alike; who enjoy reading about their exploits in class they tell me!

We've tried Bring a Friend Parties (the 2nd one we stipulated the friend couldn't already be a brownie from another unit), we held a Royal Street Party, and have added the new programme flyer and welcome letter for every girls book bag in 2 local schools. We had a press release in the local newspaper, taken Splat the Rat to the Annual local Duck Race 2 years running. We have run a Guess the brownie bear's birthday competition. Toured round all the local pubs, butchers, hairdresser, shops, Post Office and even Local Show Homes with the official recruitment posters. We've challenged the brownies to each tell a friend about something they have done at brownies, and bribed them with the reward of a SW Region Recruitment Badge if they can bring a new brownie. 

What ever we try we are in a village location and no matter what we do we have 15 brownie units within a 3 mile radius and at least 2 locally flourishing dance schools. The model of Girl Guiding has to change if we are to survive. I have proposed joining units locally, but I sense a reticence to change! In Munich we ran 1 Saturday a month, and it was amazing what you could achieve in 4 hours on a Saturday morning as long as there was a snack of some sort, but I sense this would be a step too far locally!

I've been using my recent enforced time at home to do some scrap-booking, being careful not to break any GDPR rules of course, as I can't remember many of the girls names from 34 years ago! I was struck by the number of photos with a full unit of 24 brownies (and some of those girls will now be in their 40's) but also a few, whose names I can remember have gone on to do amazing things with wonderful careers. I'm wondering how I can harness that for a local recruitment drive!  

Fundraising Policy

I was once asked to do a cross section training on Fundraising so it's refreshing to see the Girlguiding provided material has been considerably refreshed since then. A few years ago we had the A-Z of ideas and nothing else. Now we have a Fundraising policy as well as a Fundraising Toolkit & a Code of Fundraising Practice. Even the A-Z has been refreshed with up to date ideas and this lovely poster to make it much easier to include the girls and even parents in the process. There is even a link to a 37 minute webinar made available by the Fundraising Regulator if you need to satisfy the urge to find out more. If you don't want to watch the full webinar there is a "Fundraising Promise" which would be worth discussing with the girls before you do some fundraising. See if you can find the Bingo and cake sale resources? Well done, Girlguiding a good refresh.

Midlands resource "Stay with Girlguiding" & badge

Its aimed at Commissioners to improve retention. However, there are plenty of ideas that could be used with the unit. There is a badge to be earned for every adult in the district by trying 3 retention ideas inspired by the pack. Ideas are inspired by the new programme so its really up to date. There are 6 pdf's including a badge order form and one called "Value your Volunteer" which we don't do enough of.
The badge is really cute, but well hidden on the Midlands website, this is  the URL to cut and paste: http://www.girlguiding-midlands.org.uk/resource-detail.php?ID=44 or search the Midlands website under "Resources".

LASER Guiding Conversations on Bereavement

I've never seen a Guiding Conversation which has been "franchised" which is what it looks like has happened here. London & South East England (note the "Region" has been dropped) have produced a really good Guiding Conversation on Bereavement in collaboration with a number of  UK authorities on the subject. I wish it had been around in 2005 when my own children suffered a bereavement, and there was very little information around to support them. This provides some really sensible practical advice including bereavement in different faith traditions, and finishes with some useful URL's to explore for further support (see below):

Sign-posting for further support
To help leaders to feel able, confident and supported in delivering the conversation online support is available: 
• Winston’s Wish     https://www.winstonswish.org/about-us/
• Hope Support Services   http://www.hopesupport.org.uk/  
• Hospice UK      https://www.hospiceuk.org
• Dying Matters     http://www.dyingmatters.org/
• Childhood Bereavement Network  http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice   https://www.noahsarkhospice.org.uk/
• Cruse Bereavement Care    https://www.cruse.org.uk/    
• Maggie’s Centre    https://www.maggiescentres.org/
• NHS Choices     https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/bereavement/
 
Books are also available to help young people cope with grief, loss and bereavement. Visit  https://childbereavementuk.org/for-families/info-sheets/other-reading/support-children-young-people/

You can find the pdf here:
https://www.girlguidinglaser.org.uk/resource/Guiding-conversation-bereavement.pdf