NEWSAGENCY

from The Western Echo December 2020/January 2021

Jane's Cleaning Service pgPhone: 0450 754 363

Walton Bridge The Gap Girl Guide District

We are close to wrapping up for 2020 and what a year this has been. After a bright start to the year, we had four months with no face-to-face meetings. Instead we had Flexible Guiding - some units emailed challenges, another provided activity boxes with ‘at-home projects’ and others did Zoom meetings. Walton Bridge The Gap Guide units resumed in person during the second half of the year enjoying a wide variety of activities within our COVID Safe Plan. These included indoor and outdoor games and activities, a cookout with individual foil meals to be COVIDsafe, campfires, making camp gadgets, and jewellery making. Three units, 1st Brownies, 2nd Brownies and 3rd Guides, supported the charity Share the Dignity this year. This charity works to end period poverty in Australia. We thank our volunteer leaders for their enthusiasm, skill and commitment that empowers girls and young women to grow into confident, self-respecting responsible community members.

There are six units for girls and young women from ages 5 to 17 developing their leadership skills, enjoying the outdoors, having fun while learning essential life skills. There are also opportunities for adult women to continue Guiding with a Trefoil Guild (adult members 18+) or as adult leaders and unit helpers working with the girls. If you think you have a little space in your lives to volunteer as a leader or unit helper, these are a great bunch of girls and young women who have fun, enjoy friendships, and support each other. If you decide to join as an adult leader or unit helper, uniforms and training are provided. Please contact our District Manager, Elizabeth Wheeley if you are interested at e.wheeley@gmail.com to find more.

2nd Walton Bridge The Gap Brownies who, as part of their service commitment, collected items and donated 16 bags for the charity “Share the Dignity.” The charity then gives the bags to women and teenagers who are homeless or in need. Jen Witheriff, a Director at Share the Dignity, who is in the photo at right - centre back row, came along to Brownies to collect the bags and she spoke to the girls about how important their role is in the world and she asked them about Guiding and how it made them feel when they came to Brownies and what sort of activities they did each week.