Congratulations to Helen Bevan from 1st Porth Brownies (and her husband Ian) on the birth of their daughter, Emily Hope Bevan, born on 13 April. Lots of love sent to them from everyone in Rhondda Division.
Ruth Purnell, Division Commissioner
Congratulations to Abigail Derrick of 1st Blaenau yr Rhondda Senior Section on receiving a High Sheriff's Youth Award – well done from all of us from within the County.
Thanks to all those who came to the County Dinner on Friday 23rd March. It was a lovely evening and I hoped you all had fun.
Specific thanks go to Brenda Evans for organising the event and to those who took part in the ‘Nice or Naff’ raffle which made £106 for Kim Brown’s International trip to Iceland this summer.
Do you visit at least a year with your Unit? If so, why not become a friend and sign up for membership from only £5. The application form is on the website under About Us/Gorwelion/Friends of Gorwelion. Your support will be so important towards achieving the final stages of the renovations to the house as well as the fields.
Julie Thomas is now the Queen's Guide Co-ordinator for the County and she doesn't have a definitive list of those who are undertaking this prestigious award.
If you are working towards your Queen's Guide Award or know of anyone in your Unit, District or Division working towards this currently - please can you email julie.thomas66@sky.com and let her know.
The Wales Coastal Path launch is on the 5th May. Girlguiding Cymru is joining together with Scouts and Ordinance Survey to create a badge for the event.
The plan is to get as many people out on the path as possible and we thought the best way of doing this is to run small walks or picnics
(or what ever else you can think of to get girls out on the path) as units/district/division or even county events.
Uniform is preferred but obviously it the weather's not good, please wear suitable clothing (i.e. waterproofs).
If you are going to walk the path and you do not have the suitable walking qualification (generally Level 1),
please check the route with me, as GG Cyrmu walking advisor (rachel.kingham@hotmail.co.uk).
If you look under the A-Z of guiding activities on the GGUK website you will find details of the walking qualifications and the limits of each level under 'Walking'. Most of the path is suitable to walk without a qualification PROVIDED you have walked the route before the event and are aware of any hazards. There are some areas of the path that are not suitable for anyone without a qualification, you will need at least Level 2 - again, please check any routes with a walking adviser. Please let me know what you're organising and how many you're planning to take out.
Download the order form for badges.
Rachel Kingham - GGCymru Walking Advisor
Why don't you give yourself a deadline to complete by Easter! Say to yourself - I can do this.....by 30th March and I want to hand it in!
Simply speak to your mentor, District/Division Commissioner and ask for a meeting to sit down with them and get it signed off!
ALQ's can be completed in less than a year - please push yourself and then reward yourself with a Giant Easter Egg!! :)
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society is an international charity based in the UK. They are promoting a free resource for Brownies.
There Dolphin Diploma helps teach children about whales and dolphins but also allows them to tick all the requirements for the Friend to Animals badge under the endangered animals section. WDCS provides an award certificate to those that take part. All the Diploma information can be found here.
As you may be aware GOLD has been running for 21 years in 2012. To help mark this milestone we would like to gather up to date contact details of all former GOLD participants to invite them to share in the celebrations. We would be very grateful if you could look at the details we require on the following google doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?Key=0auwwzxll3o96dfvvetzpmmlom3fdtjb1zdb6skhhbgc
Please then take a few moments to fill in your details on a new spreadsheet and email it to gold@girlguiding.org.uk.
...
If you are still in touch with some of your team members or guiding friends you know have been on GOLD who do not like this page or are not members of the yahoo group, please forward this request to them so we can get in touch with as many people as possible. We are keen to hear from everyone that has been involved in GOLD, even if they are no longer members of Girlguiding UK.
Many thanks for taking the time to help us and we will hopefully be in touch with more info about GOLD 21st Celebrations soon.
The Germany Challenge badge is an excellent resource, and useful for any international themed unit. Proceeds from the badge will go towards fundraising to send 8 girls and 3 leaders to international!
The badges cost just £1 each, plus P&P.
Download the order form, and details of the challenge and the resources.
In October 2012 Jill Stott from Girlguiding Caernarfonshire (with husband Peter and 3 guiding friends) will be volunteering in ‘Deep Griha’ - a society set up by one woman in 1975 to improve the lives of families living in the slums of Pune, India.
You can Make a Difference by helping them to achieve their aim “to leave something behind that will make a difference to their future” with your unit. See the flyer for more information about how to get involved in this fantastic project!
Funds raised will be used to equip a workshop with woodworking tools, sewing machines and other craft equipment and to purchase materials for training purposes. Visit www.deepgriha.org to find out more about the Deep Griha society.
If you want to plan a celebration for the Olympic or Paralympic Games, then look no further. London 2012 have launched a scheme called Local Leaders. This provides people across the whole of the UK with the opportunity to get access to ideas, hints and tips to organise their celebrations.
Becoming a Local Leader is really simple. Just provide your email address on the website and once signed up, Local Leaders will receive email updates each month with helpful things such as:
- Hints and tips
- Planning guides
- Decoration ideas
- Posters to use
- Save the date cards
You can sign up to be a Local Leader here. www.london2012.com/localleaders
For more information contact Gwyn L Williams: the Creative Programmer for Wales at: gwyn.williams@artswales.org.uk
For all your Guiding needs – the shop at Broneirion has everything from stationary to uniform available to buy now!
You can order over the phone or via email – or pop in next time you’re in Bron! Download the flyer here!
The Countryside Council for Wales as they are offering their publications free to Girlguiding Cymru ( with free delivery too!) This is because the Countryside Council, Environment Agency and Forestry Commission will be joining together as one agency. However, this offer is only open until the end of February, so if you are interested in any of the titles below please contact Linda Williams/Angharad Thomas as below;
Telephone: 0845 1306 229
Fax: 01248 385505
Post: Enquiry Service
Countryside Council For Wales
Maes y Ffynnon
Penrhosgarnedd
Bangor
Gwynedd
LL57 2DW
http://www.ccw.gov.uk/publications--research/ordering-publications.aspx
These are and excellent resource, with extremely good photographs and suitable for most ages - perfect if you're planning any environmentally themed badges. Download the list here.
Flock is a project which invites people to make pom-pom sheep for a large scale art installation (similar to Antony Gormley’s field for the British Isles). Not only does the project encourage collaboration and creativity it helps to raise awareness of the wool and sheep farming industry – we ask that participants make their sheep using wool with sheep’s wool content.
Why not join in by making your own little flocks with your unit! For full details and a free sheep making kit visit www.jointheflock.co.uk
Congratulations on the birth of Charlotte Elisabeth Dunford on Thursday 26th January at 7.09pm. Mum, Liz Dunford leader of Brackla brownies is doing well and all in Brackla district are very happy to share her news!
All the guides plus leaders Ange and Jo had a fab time as you can see.
Take a guided tour of a real, working chocolate factory and uncover the closely guarded secrets of chocolate making! Learn the tricks of the trade from the making of thousands of chocolate bars to making a giant scrumptious Easter egg!
Discover the fascinating history of chocolate and its origins across the seas - from the myths and legends of the ancient Aztecs to Columbus' historic encounter, and lots, lots more!
Discounted group rates available!
Contact Gareth on 01792 561617 or via email to book, or visit http://www.thechocfactory.co.uk/tours/ for more information
Please note that the termination of the aviation insurance will take effect from 1st January 2012.
Eagles Wings Trust in partnership with Snowdonia Flight Centre based at Caernarfon Airport are pleased to offer preferential training rates for young people in certain categories.
Training courses include Flight Training in a 4 seat Piper Cherokee (PA28), Flight Simulator Training, Groundschool and CAA Examinations all at discounted rates.
Free School Membership is also included. The overall discounts equate to approximately 20% over the course of training. This offer is not available to the general public.
For more information, see www.flysnowdonia.co.uk and click on the "Training" tab.
Alternatively, for more information contact Paul Asbridge on:
01286 832148 (telephone)
07760 333930 (text)
Or e-mail info@eagleswingstrust.org
They rans lengths of the Unit meeting hall and ran a total of 1438 lengths - that works out at over 10 miles between them in 25 minutes! An amazing total considering they are only aged 6 and 7. They have raised over £100 so far with sponsorship money still coming in. Each Rainbow who took part got a special 1st Brackla Rainbows certificate with the number of lengths they ran on!
1st Pontyclun Brownies Fair Trade and Fun Evening on 28th November was a huge success!
The Brownies of 1st Pontyclun over the past few weeks had been preparing for the fair by making bath bombs, bath salts, lip balms, fudge and peppermint creams. They produced and packaged the products ready for the sale as a fundraising event for the unit. The girls thoroughly enjoyed mixing different smells and colours together along with a little glitter to create fab natural and fair trade products to sell to their family and friends.
On the night there was a raffle along with the sale with prizes donated by The Pontyclun Community Shop, Domino’s Pizza in Pontyclun and Bodyshop consultant Dawne Meynell-Western. The stalls and the raffle were all expertly manned by the Brownies on a very busy night, and the leaders were all banished to the kitchen to serve tea and mince pies!
A massive £310 was raised which will all go back to the unit to plan more activities for the girls (A few items such as bath bombs, bath salts and lip balms are left - if anyone is interested in purchasing them as a last minute gift please email Lora. A massive thank you needs to go to everyone who helped prior to and on the night of the event, including Wendy Hinton, County Commissioner who also attended. A lot of hard work was put in by the Brownies and the leaders of the unit and we can’t wait to plan the next one!
1st Llantwit Major Rainbows have lots of fun at their ceramic evening making decorations for their Christmas trees!
Well done to 1st Efail Isaf Brownies who took over Church Village Co-operative foodstore for an evening of Fairtrade fun, as part of 'Inspiration for Tackling Global Poverty'. The Brownies took part in Fairtrade games and quizzes and took turns manning the tills, and were complemented by the store manager on their excellent behaviour and interest. Well done to all involved!
The finals of the Wales Soroptimist International Public Speaking Competition were held at the Heronston Hotel, Bridgend on Saturday 1st October 2011.
Winner - Jessica Matthews of Cefn Hirgoed Division.
Second - Laura Smith of The Vale Division
Third - Rhiannon Harris from Carmarthen County
Congratulations to Jessica and Laura on their achievement. They spoke clearly and comprehensively on their chosen subjects and had obviously researched them well. They were confident before an audience of 40 members of Sorptimist Wales which included both our Chief Commissioner for Wales Felicity Ladbrooke, our Girlguiding Cymru President Helen Murdoch, and the Regional President and Federation President of the Soroptimists.
Girlguiding Central Glamorgan is very proud to have you both as members. Well done!
Well done!
Well done to all those that helped out at the Freshers Fayre at the University of Glamorgan on Friday 23rd Sept. We now have over 30 names of students wishing to volunteer in the Pontypridd area. This could be a real opportunity to grow Guiding and also gain new leaders in the process for Wales.
Young Leaders from Cynon Valley Division have recently completed their Young Leaders Award.
The girls are:
Amy Cartlidge Young leader 1st Abercynon Brownies
Nadine Thomas Young Leader 1st Abercynon Brownies
Cerys Nicoles Young leader 1st Abercynon Rainbows
Congratulations from "All Their Leaders" .
Tonypandy Guides were thrilled to have three more Guides to be presented with their Baden Powell Award at our our special presentation evening held at Glyncornel Environmental Centre last July.
Their names are Amy Pothecary, Emily-Jo Davey and Victoria Williams. Guiders in the Rhondda are all quite chuffed as that now makes a total of six girls that have gained the award.
Congratulations to Babs Protheroe from Pontypridd Division who went to RCT's Woman of the Year awards, where she was ' WOMAN OF THE YEAR' in the category 'ABOVE AND BEYOND' and also overall 'WOMAN OF THE YEAR'.
