My name is Emily and I volunteer as a Young Leader at a Brownie unit in Harrow and Pinner Division.
I originally started in the unit as a Brownie Helper whilst at Guides for my Duke of Edinburgh award and quickly realised I wanted to stay. Over the two years I have been there I have learnt so much not only from the Leaders but from the Brownies. Through the leaders I have learnt how to think on my feet, that games are excellent fillers and if activities take a shorter or longer than expected this is normal! Each girl will react differently to an activity and you have to work with the girls instead of against them.
Pre-covid we went to Magic and Mayhem and the Tower of London which was a really nice bonding experience with the girls. During the lockdowns our unit continued through meeting on zoom. We had a virtual sleepover with the girls and then met them when the government guidelines said we could do so outside. We also made this into the first face to face promise I had been to.
Getting back into face-to-face meetings again has been a real learning curve for me as I have had to balance my GCSE year with Brownies. The girls have made me feel a part of the group and they teach me to be confident in myself. We’ve recently had a new Young Leader join our team which has taught me new skills working with my peers and how we can both help each other.
Being a Young Leader has been a really fulfilling experience for me so far and it has set me up to want to become a leader when I am 18. I have my mum to thank for getting me into Girlguiding and for all the incredible experiences I have had, not just as a Young Leader but as a Brownie, Guide and now as a Ranger.
Below is a photo of Emily making her promise as a Young Leader at the Tower of London.
