Volunteer
No matter how much time you have to give, there’s an opportunity for you!
Girlguiding Middlesex North West is part of Girlguiding the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK.
By volunteering with us, you can help us create amazing opportunities for girls across the county.
Everyone is welcome
Girlguiding Middlesex North West welcomes volunteers of all backgrounds, ages, cultures, faiths and abilities.
We are flexible and volunteering can be arranged to fit around a busy lifestyle.
You can volunteer to help out with:
Or you can take on a non-unit supporting role. Guiding as an adult is a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded people to share your next adventure. If you’re interested in trying new guiding challenges explore the Trefoil Guild.
Every hour counts!
Our incredible volunteers contribute more than ten million hours to guiding every year. Some give a couple of hours here and there, for example helping out with driving for trips, fundraising and events planning, or even doing the annual accounts for local groups. Others give their time as Unit Volunteers and Young Leaders, providing girls and young women with a space where they can be themselves.
Whatever your skills and interests, and no matter how much time you have to spare, one of our volunteering roles is bound to suit you.
Why volunteer?
- Meet new friends living near you
- Take a refreshing break from your everyday routine
- Share a skill or specialism
- Make a difference to the lives of girls in your community
- Spend time laughing, playing and being inspired by incredible girls and young women
- Build skills for life
- Be an inspiration for girls and young women
Inspire (18-30 years)
Inspire is a community for adult members aged 18-30 with opportunities to get to know new people across the county, attend social events and be part of a peer led support network.
Inspire Members can also choose to work on awards such as their Queen’s Guide or Duke of Edinburgh Awards, take on roles such as Peer Educator and take part in various national and international opportunities.
To find out more about Inspire opportunities within our County and connect with other members of a similar age, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook group or drop us an email.
- Visit our Facebook Page
- County News – our bi-monthly email to keep you up to date with everything that is happening in our county.
Learning Platform
All volunteers have access to the Learning Platform that contains a wide range of modules and training sessions to support your volunteering with Girlguiding. There are self-led module units and links to face to face sessions.
- Visit this page to understand how you get on to the learning platform
A Safe Space
As a new volunteer you will need to complete specific levels from the A Safe Space series.
Safety is at the heart of everything we do. Because we know that when girls feel safe, they feel brave enough to do things they never thought they could.
The training will help you:
- Understand your role in safeguarding and what to do
- Recognise potential safeguarding issues
- Understand our safety and safeguarding policies
- Learn about our approach to risk management and your responsibilities
- Discuss with other volunteers what to do
- Answer your questions
There are four levels of training. All volunteers need to undertake ‘A Safe Space’ training related to their role. For example, if your role requires up to level 3 then you will need to complete levels 1, 2 and 3.
Qualifications
There are a number of training opportunities and qualifications on offer to volunteers over the age of 14. Visit our qualifications page to find out more.
County Trainings
We run a variety of training sessions and events throughout the year – check out our calendar for details.
Like all organisations, Girlguiding is full of jargon, the list below should help but if you are not sure of what something means please ask!
A Safe Space – Girlguiding’s policy for safeguarding the welfare of children and young people in their care
BIG GIG – Girlguiding’s pop concert
BGIFC – British Guides in Foreign Countries
CC – County Commissioner
DBS – Data Barring Scheme
D of E – Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
DC – District Commissioner
Div Com – Division Commissioner
FOG – Friends of Guiding
Gift Aid – Government scheme to encourage donations to charities; tax already paid on subscriptions can be reclaimed!
GFF – Guide Friendship Fund
GO – Guiding Organiser database
GOLD – Guiding Overseas Linked with Development
HQ – Headquarters; where Girlguiding UK’s administrative office is situated.
INTOPS – International Opportunities Weekends
LaSER – London & South East England Region
LQ – Leadership Qualification
Mentor – Someone who supports you in gaining a qualification
Pow-Wow – Decision-making meetings for Brownies
Rangers – The section for those aged 14 to 18
SSAGO – Student Scout and Guide Organisation
Subscription/Subs – Girlguiding annual membership payment
TAC – Training and Activity Centre
TG – Trefoil Guild
Unit – Group of Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers, Young Leaders and their Leaders
WAGGGS – World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts
YL – Young Leader
YLQ – Young Leader Qualification