"It’s about getting involved in the community and giving back" - Girlguiding volunteers needed in Salford

Girlguiding Greater Manchester West County have recently launched an online recruitment campaign in the search of new volunteers.

Anyone over the age of 18 – male or female – is welcome to sign up as a volunteer, with lots of opportunities to suit everyone.

Volunteers are welcome to work with the local units on a weekly basis or help with admin tasks once a month; or those who want to simply have a connection with Guiding may choose to join the Trefoil Guild.

There are plenty of roles available, including being a unit leader, assistant leader, or even a unit occasional helper – which are all flexible and can be adapted to suit you and your skills.

Being a volunteer can help both yourself and others develop, as is explained on the Girlguiding websites and also by the volunteers themselves.

@girlguidinggmwIf you like the sound of this why not come join us? ##GirlguidingGreaterManchesterWest ##VolunteerSalford ##VolunteerTrafford ♬ original sound – Girlguiding GMW

Judith Glenn, the Growth and Retention Coordinator for Girlguiding GMW has been volunteering with the organisation for over 40 years now.

She said: “[We’re just looking for someone with] a willingness to come and volunteer with us and to take part. Everybody has got all sorts of different qualities that they can offer to us and we’re all different types of people.

“We range from volunteers who are 18, and we’ve actually got some who are 80 and 90. We offer a balanced and varied programme to people, so there is no particular quality needed – just a willingness to take part and be part of it.

“The most important [reason to join] is because it’s fun.

“You meet lots of different people – I’ve actually made lifelong friends of all different ages. It’s about getting involved in the community and giving back.

“[Another reason is] to help girls – that’s the top one – and to help girls reach their full potential. That’s what we’re all about.

“I take great pride in the fact that in our area there are ladies running groups who were in my Guides. So, it’s helping [the girls] have new experiences, do things they might have never tried before, and grow in confidence, which brings me onto developing yourself as well.

“The volunteering helps you to develop your own skills. It’s all part of being a team, so there’s a lot of opportunities there for self-development and to do what you want to do, go in whichever direction you want.

“Wherever I’ve moved to, I’ve found a Guiding family – people to immediately connect with because you’ve got something in common.

“There is [a sense of community and belonging], absolutely, and I think that in these last 12 months, perhaps that’s been a bit clearer.

“I think Girlguiding, as a whole, has been very good in the welfare of our volunteers, as well as the girls. There’s been very much an attitude of if you’re not in a good place to be doing things at the moment, that is absolutely fine.

“People have been in all sorts of different places and stages and you don’t know what people’s personal circumstances are.

“We’re all volunteers, so you must not feel pressured to do anything, do whatever you feel comfortable with – you can definitely tell that there’s a sense of community.”

The organisation, founded in 1910, is the United Kingdom’s largest voluntary group for girls and young women.

Girlguiding GMW have 201 groups across Salford and Trafford, and have over 3000 girls and volunteer members across the boroughs, but are looking for more helping hands.

They have already raised more than £5500 for the Royal Manchester Children’s hospital; have joined in with The Race for Life; designed a plant pot in the Blue Peter Garden; and have done much more to support the community.

In 2015, they began the Comfort Bag Scheme, in which ‘comfort bags’ of toiletries are given to those in need in several hospitals and hospices across the county. As a result of this, they were awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2019.

Don’t forget our final challenge is wear your uniform to work day! Send us your pictures so we can see how fab you’re all looking! #GirlguidingGreaterManchesterWest #VolunteerSalford #VolunteerTrafford pic.twitter.com/jMdu7ziPHV

— Girlguiding GMW (@GirlguidingGMW) February 19, 2021