February News letter

Hello everyone,

  Time for an update from me about how things are going in the County.  You will have seen the past couple of e-news’ have spotlighted some of our teams including the EDI and Awards and I hope you have been enjoying reading what the teams have been up to.  Watch out for the Adventures and Activities team next.

I have been lucky enough to make a few more appointments to the Blue Team recently.  Hannah Kitto has joined us as International advisor and is busily preparing for her first INTOPS (International Opportunities) event at Dudsbury in a couple of weeks’ time.  Hannah can be contacted at International@girlguidingdorset.org.uk 

Casey Littlechild has become our Peer Education lead and will soon be telling us all about how we can use this valuable resource in the County.  She can be contacted at peereducation@girlguidingdorset.org.uk

Thalia Galloway has taken the role of Safe and Sound lead and will be co-ordinating Safe Space and 1^st response trainings – email to follow.

Talking of which, I hope you are all signed up to the Dorset Leaders’ Facebook page? It’s one of the easiest ways of keeping up with things that are coming out.  Have you all seen the advert for face to face full first response session or Safe Space 3 on February 27th?  If you are uncomfortable doing these sessions online then please sign up here:

https://www.girlguidingdorset.org.uk/events/

Please remember you can’t do both courses on the same day 😊.  For those of you looking for 15 minute practical sessions because you have completed the e-learning and the online 6 hour session there are sessions for that on the same day – please keep an eye out on our events site as we keep posting these sessions around the county.  Commissioners – if you have a group needing this and you have a place and time that you can offer in your area please let me know and the fabulous trainers will try to facilitate.  There are changes coming to 1st Response in April where only two sessions will be available online with a third needing to be done face to face.  We are working at getting these into the diary so that you all have a bit more notice.

We are looking forward to several events in the County coming up soon:

GOLD award day for young members who achieved their award in 2021 is planned for April.

Adult Award Event – May 7^th.  This will be for invited adults who have achieved awards over 2021.  We are looking forward to celebrating both the achievements of our young members and volunteers.

Beacon event.  On the 2nd June there will be a County Beacon event at Dudsbury. Each Division will be asked to provide 1 group of rainbows/Brownies/Guides or Rangers to be part of a sleepover and Jubilee celebrations. Watch this space for further details.

Outdoor activity day.  We have been awarded a Generation Green grant from Region towards an outdoor activity day that we hope will happen in September but we are meeting now to get this underway.

Rainbow 35^th birthday. Watch out for a possible unit challenge.

If you are interested in being part of a task and finish group for any of these then please email me lisa@girlguidingdorset.org.uk  It would be a short-term commitment for one event only.  We need you to help make these events work.

I had a really productive face to face day with all the Commissioners and County advisors last week where we discussed how you might stop a mad dog, a rampant bull and a burglar! This mostly seemed to involve red knickers and a lasso – just in case it helps you when you are out and about! Really, we were there to put together some ideas about what you want and need from a County perspective and  I will be taking all those ideas and crunching it into the county strategy and diary.  We also had an opportunity to present a long-service award to Catherine Welch and Laura Cottey came and presented Racheal Tattum with her Region Silver Oak Award. So lovely to see and chat to everyone.

Linda Skelton, our brilliant office administrator, is planning to hang up her keyboard at the beginning of April. Linda has seen many a County Commissioner come and go and is now looking forward to visiting all those places that have eluded her over the last couple of years.  We will be advertising for a new administrator shortly.

Very well done to the following who have completed their Module 1 of the Leadership Qualification:

Well done also to Lauren Old, from Bournemouth South, who has completed her Young Leader qualification.

Congratulations to the leaders who have completed the following Going Away With qualification:

Finally, it’s February and this always means two things – Subscription and Thinking Day. At the risk of repeating myself subs are due on the 22nd February and should be paid as close to possible to this date.  Please check your invoices by the 20th to be sure they are correct and please let your commissioner know now if this is going to cause you an issue.  Thank you for your help in getting this sorted as soon as you can.

As for Thinking Day, I am aware some of you are celebrating as Divisions and some are doing the region event.  Whatever you are doing I’m sure you will be Thinking of friends far and wide.  For me I will be thinking of my GS/GG friends in America and Canada and well as you all around the County.

Once again thank you for everything you do – we can’t do it without you.

Best wishes

Lisa – County Commissioner – Lisa@girlguidingdorset.org.uk