Join Jill – Girl Guides
In honour of World Thinking Day, Jill tells us about her experience of being a part of the Girl Guides. World Thinking Day takes place on the 22nd February each year, and is when Guides and Girl Scouts across the world think of each other and of their commitment to international friendship and understanding.
“From a young age I have been involved in girl guiding. I was in the brownies for many years in my local church and I loved it. I did a lot of with them and got a lot of badges but as it wasn’t a unit for disabled I found myself left out sometimes when other girls were running around or playing games which I couldn’t join in with, but don’t get me wrong the other girls were fantastic with me and I loved it .
When it came to going in to the guides I tried the group in the same church but it wasn’t for me. So I found out through a friend that there is a girl guides unit for women with a disability. I tried it out and I loved it!
I have been part of the 207th guides for about 14 years and it is a fantastic unit. The unit meets every 2nd Monday during term time. We just do normal girls guides things such as play a lot of games, make things, work towards badges (I have a lot of badges myself), going to shows and going to camp.
Going to camp is one my favourite bit of being in the guides. I have been to a few weekends camp but I was lucky enough to go to a week of camp in 2010 for girl guiding 100th birthday and I had the best week ever. It was down at Netherurd where they have a big garden house where they have some facilities for the disabled.
During my week there I was lucky enough to meet Sophie the Countess of Wessex and she was really nice and took time to talk to me. That was a great day.
I am very proud of to be a girl guide because I have done a lot through the group, like a zip line. I’ve also met some great people and I am pleased to call them my friends.
I have always said I wanted to be a leader, but maybe some day.
If you would like to get involved, visit the girl guides website.