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1 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

As good as our word

Our tone of voice guidelines

Version: March 2020

2 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

We’ll cover...

2 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

• Webpageforparents

• Webpageformembers

• Emailtomembers

• Fromanewsletter   

• Fromanannualreport

• Fromacampaigningtoolkit

• Fromanapplicationpack

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

Look and layout

Glossary of common terms

Girlguiding messaging

Good writing checklist

A helping hand…

3 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Section 1

Our tone of voice

4 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Whenever we communicate for Girlguiding, we want to sound true to ourselves. We can do

this by using language that lets our personality and humanity come through. Our words should

consistentlyreectwhowearetoday.

We each give people an impression of the kind

of person we are through the words we use.

For example, you’d have a different

view of someone who greeted you with this:

Than you would if

someone said this:

And it’s the same with organisations. The language we use when we communicate plays an

important role in the emotional connections people make with us. Or perhaps don’t make

with us.

There’s another reason why our tone of voice is so important. It’s vital to get our messages

across clearly and consistently.

We want reading every Girlguiding communication to be a pleasant experience. Useful and

enjoyable. So we need to keep our intended readers in mind and think about how best to

communicate with them.

These guidelines will help you to write consistently in our tone of voice and house style. And

this in turn will help our messages hit home and our personality and values shine through.

Why tone of voice matters

Hello, it’s a pleasure

to meet you.

Hey,

how’s it going?

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

5 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

OuraimistogiveeveryonewhowritesforGirlguidingthecondencetocommunicateina

waythatreectsourpersonalityasayouthcharityintoday’sworld:

• We’re credible – a solid organisation with a long and much-loved pedigree

• We’re adventurous – full of fun and constantly adapting to help young women step

condentlyintotheirfutures

• We’re welcoming – we embrace all girls and young women. Their voices, dreams and

worries are our guiding light

To bring who we are to life whenever we communicate, our tone of voice has three

characteristics:

1. Straight talking – we tell it like it is

2. Enthusiastic – our writing has a spring in its step and a twinkle in its eye

3. In tune – we’re empathetic and helpful

Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

1. We’re straight talking

We’rehonestandstraightforward.Wegettothepointandsaywhatwemean.Wedon’tuff

things up or pad them out – or hide behind our own jargon. We tell it like it is - plain and

simple. And this openness builds trust and credibility.

Sounding like real people when we write helps us come across as approachable and down to

earth.

Being straight talking

reectsourvaluesofbeingempowering and inclusive. When our

messagesareclearandeasytofollow,thishelpseveryonetondtheinformationtheyneed

to get on with their day.

See techniques for sounding straight talking

Our tone of voice

6 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

2. We’re enthusiastic

Girlguiding is full of adventures, big and small. We play together; we laugh together. We inspire

each other. We care about what we do, and this passion shows in the enthusiasm in our voice.

Wehaveopinions,andwesharethem.We’renotafraidtochallengeortotalkaboutdifcult

things, but we do this from a place of love and respect.

We’re not standing still as an organisation; and our communications have a certain pace and

energythatreectsourdrive.

Sounding enthusiastichelpsusreectourvaluesofbeingchallenging, inspiring and fun.

See techniques for sounding enthusiastic

3. We’re in tune

We’re welcoming and approachable - and tuned in to people’s needs, especially young

people’s. We embrace all girls and young women. We listen; we empathise; we show we care.

We have each other’s backs. We’re all in this together, and we like it that way.

So we always write with a clear sense of who we’re speaking to, and why what we’re saying

matters to them. We show people that we know how they feel – and make sure our

communicationsttheaudienceandthesituation.

Sounding in tunehelpsusreectourvaluesofbeingcaring and inclusive.

See techniques for sounding in tune

Whatever we write, and whoever our audience is, we want these three voice characteristics to

come through. Let’s look at some techniques that will help us do this.

7 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

Sounding straight talking is about being:

•

Conversational

• Open and honest

• Refreshingly clear and simple

We don’t take it too far. We never sound brusque, simplistic or rude.

How to sound straight talking

So instead of this…

Guiding within the United Kingdom is organised

into a number of geographical areas to provide

support, lines of two-way communication and

opportunities for young members, leaders and

commissioners to make decisions and take

responsibility.

We’d write…

We’re organised along geographical lines in the UK

to give our members clear lines of communication

and support, and plenty of chances to act.

Three ways to sound straight talking

1. Use everyday language

2. Get to the point

3. Imagine it’s a conversation

1. Use everyday language

We always want to sound approachable, and

to have a certain energy to our words. We

want to make readers feel like we’re talking

to them. So we write like people speak.

This means using everyday words instead of

formal language and Girlguiding jargon.

This applies to all of our communications –

even things about serious subjects, like

reports or job offers – and especially when

we talk about our campaigning work. Using

everyday language, instead of ‘campaign-

speak’, is an important way of making our

advocacy work feel accessible and inviting

to all of our members.

Instead of… We say…

amend change

assist help

contact get in touch

enquire ask

fundraising

raising money

provide give

8 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

2. Get to the point

We don’t beat around the bush. Whatever our message, we get right to it – with a healthy dose

of empathy for the person at the other end.

Wealsorespectpeople’stimebybeingconcise.Thisgivesourwritingclarityandcondence.

We make every word count - if it’s not adding anything to the message or the tone, delete it.

3. Imagine it’s a conversation

Why does what you’re writing matter to the other person? How might they feel about it? How

would you put it to them if they were sitting right in front of you? Start with this in mind.

We ask the occasional question and address people directly with ‘you’. We use contractions (such

as ‘don’t’ instead of ‘do not’ or ‘we’ll’ instead of ‘we will’) in writing, like we do in speech. And

wesometimesstartoursentenceswith‘and’or‘but’ifithelpstheowofwhatwe’rewriting.

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

So instead of this…

No matter what your guiding role, you will

be working with data.

This means it’s vital that you understand the

core principles of data protection, and know

how to implement them in everyday guiding.

So instead of this…

We continue to recommend that all girls and young women are

supported to attend the programme most appropriate for their

age however we recognise that for some members with

disabilities transitioning to the next stage of Girlguiding may

present additional challenges.

We might say…

We know that adjusting to

the next stage of Girlguiding

can be challenging for

young people with

disabilities.

We’d write something like…

Do you know how to keep everyone’s data safe?

People trust us with their details and personal

information. So it’s vital to stay up to date on

how to keep data safe in your day-to-day

guiding work.

9 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

How to sound enthusiastic

Sounding enthusiastic is about being:

•

Condent

• Bold

• Energetic

We’re careful not to go too far and sound brash, inappropriate or over the top. And

sounding enthusiastic doesn’t just mean adding an exclamation mark.

So instead of this…

What makes guiding special?

We are for all girls.

We are for all girls and young women, whatever

their background and circumstances, offering them

fun, exciting activities and the chance to make

life-long friends.

We’d say…

We’re for all girls

You’re welcome here. Whoever you are.

And wherever you’re from. Girlguiding is

for every girl and young woman who

wants to have adventures, learn, laugh

and make friends for life.

Three ways to sound enthusiastic

1. Keep sentences focused and pacy

2.Putpeoplerst,usingactivelanguage

3. Be yourself, and don’t be afraid to show an opinion or use humour where it feels right

1. Keep sentences focused and pacy

Short, focused sentences will give your writing energy and clarity. Aim for no more than 15 to

20 words. Try to stick to one idea per sentence, as this helps to keep the meaning crystal

clear.Andputthemostimportantinformationrst.

Keepyourparagraphssnappy,too:aroundfourorvelinesmax.

Varying the length of your sentences can help give your writing pace and rhythm. And the

occasional short sentence can add impact. Like this.

10 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

2.Putpeoplerst,usingactivelanguage

Using active language (instead of passive) puts people front and centre. In practice, this means

thinking about who the ‘doer’ is in a sentence and starting with them. Your sentences will

sound livelier as a result, and you’ll naturally use a lot more words like ‘you’, ‘we’ and ‘our’.

Passive: A toolkit has been created…

Active: We’ve created a toolkit…

3. Be yourself

We want to come across as real people when we communicate – authentic and likeable. Using

conversational language when we write will help to give our communications a human voice.

We can also show a little of our own personality – perhaps with a colourful phrase, a story, or

even a little humour. Be yourself. Have fun (as long as it’s appropriate). People will know and

appreciate that you’re a real person – and that you want to come across as one.

So instead of…

The decision was made to review the structure of

the national staff team in order to ensure that staff

resource was concentrated on the priorities of the

new strategy.

So instead of…

As part of Girlguiding’s commitment to

maintaining a safe space in guiding, disclosure

checkswillberenewedeveryveyears.We

are contacting you to notify you that your

disclosure check for your role(s) in guiding

needs to be renewed by Friday 21 May.

We’d say…

We restructured our national

team to deliver our new strategy

effectively.

We might write…

From time to time we have to do things in

Girlguiding that might not be particularly

enjoyable, but that are necessary to keep our

girls safe. One of these is renewing our

disclosurecheckseveryveyears.

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

11 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

Sounding in tune is about being:

•

Welcoming

• Approachable

• Thoughtful

We take care to never come across as overly familiar, patronising or gushy.

How to sound in tune

Three ways to sound in tune

1. Acknowledge why things matter using warmth and empathy

2.Show,insteadoftelling-withstories,realvoicesandspecicexamples

3.Helppeoplendkeyinfothroughgoodsignposting:clearheadings,lists,linksandcallstoaction

1. Acknowledge why things matter using warmth and empathy

We show our readers we understand them by acknowledging what they’re likely to be thinking

orfeeling,wherewecan.Butwe’recarefulnottomakeassumptions–it’sanebalance.

We also focus on the impact of what we’re talking about on our audience. For example, if

we’re explaining a change in safety processes to parents/carers, we say clearly what’s

changing and why and how it will help.

Not only does this make it clear that we can see things from their point of view, but it also

helps us make sure we’re writing in a way that’s meaningful and appropriate to our audience.

So instead of…

Girlguiding offers fun, challenge and adventure to

our young members in the UK. We know that young

people thrive in safe surroundings so Girlguiding

takes the safety of girls and young women very

seriously and has an excellent reputation for

providing a safe environment for members to enjoy

both indoor and outdoor activities.

We might say…

Safety is at the heart of everything we do.

So you can rest easy knowing that when

you wave your young one goodbye on her

next camping trip or weekly unit meeting,

she’s in safe hands. Because we know that

when girls feel safe, they feel brave enough

to do things they never thought they could.

12 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

2. Show, instead of telling

Wealwayswanttoreectandcelebratethefun,variedandinclusiveexperienceof

Girlguiding. One of the best ways to do this is to paint a picture of what Girlguiding is like – to

usedescriptionandevocativelanguagetomakethingsspecicandrealforouraudience.So

instead of talking about something in the abstract, we give examples, tell stories and bring

the real voices of our guides and volunteers to the forefront.

3.Helppeoplendkeyinfothroughgoodsignposting

Think up front about the essential things you want your reader to know. Then make these stand

out by putting them in places people will easily see them: at the starts of sentences and

paragraphs – and in titles, headings, links and lists.

If you’re writing something longer and more complicated, it’s also useful to ‘layer’ your

information – moving from a summary of the key points through to more detail. This gives

people the option to read to the level of detail they need.

It also helps us keep our communications as accessible as possible for people with learning

disabilities.

See the next page for an example:

So instead of this…

Being a guide is all about having the

space to try new things. Through taking

part in a range of different activities

with girls their own age, Guides

developself-condenceandmakelots

of new friends.

We might write…

We run, slide, climb, row, walk, paddle, skip and

whizz our way through challenging activities. We

laugh all the way and encourage each other to keep

on going, ignore the mud on our faces, and never

mind which one of us capsizes the canoe or

stumbles on the slack line.

13 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 1: Our tone of voice

Why tone of voice matters

Our tone of voice

How to sound straight talking

How to sound enthusiastic

How to sound in tune

Back to contents page

So instead of writing this…

Your unit’s trial invoice is now live.

You have until noon on Tuesday 7

March to check it. If the number or

names of the girls shown on your

invoice is incorrect please amend

their records on GO! or speak to your

commissioner if the volunteer

records need changing. You’ll be able

to view the updated invoice from

10am the following day and the

ofcialinvoicewillbereadyfor

you to download from noon on

Thursday 9 March.

We’d write something like this…

Your unit’s trial invoice is ready for you.

• Pleasecheckyourinvoicebeforenoonon

Tuesday 7 March.

• Ifyouspotanythingthatneedscorrecting,

update the girls’ records on GO or speak to your

commissioner about volunteer details straight

away.

• Youcanrecheckyourcorrectedinvoiceany

time from 10am the next day.

• Yourofcialinvoicewillbereadytodownload

at noon on Thursday 9 March.

14 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Section 2

Our voice in action

15 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

While we always want to sound straight talking, enthusiastic and in tune, we may sometimes

wantto‘ex’ourtone,dependingonwhatwe’rewritingandwhowe’rewritingto.Wecan

do this by putting more emphasis on one or two of the characteristics, while toning down

others.

For example, in emails to members we might want to dial up the straight talking and in

tune elements of how we sound. While on our website and social media, we can be more

enthusiastic to help us capture people’s attention.

The following examples will help you see how we can apply our tone of voice to different

types of writing.

Flexing our tone

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

All the ‘before’ examples in this guide are genuine examples from Girlguiding communications.

16 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Whatever inspires your daughter,

whatever her interests,

Girlguiding offers the chance

to develop her potential

Who does your daughter want to be when she grows up?

Whethershealreadyhasaclearidea,orifsheisstilllookingtondout,we’llbetheretosupportbothofyou

on the journey.

When your daughter becomes a Rainbow, Brownie, Guide or Ranger she will join a group of girls her own age and

will be led by our carefully trained and dedicated volunteers. Whatever inspires your daughter, whatever her

passions and interests, Girlguiding offers her the chance to develop her potential, make friends and have fun.

For example, through regular group meetings or at special events and trips she might:

• Conquer her fears on the abseil tower

• Gainaleadershipqualication

• Try out new games and sports

• Attendherrsteversleepover

• Support other girls to learnaboutbodycondence

• Campaign for the rights of girls all over the world

• Putupherrsttent

• Go canoeing

• Go on an international adventure

• Learn skills that will boost her CV

• Do a musical performance

• Try her hand at car maintenance

• Orgotoherrsteverfestival,our girls-only event Wellies and Wristbands.

Girlguiding is unique

We offer a safe, welcoming girl-only space for girls and young women to try new things, help other people

and discover their passions and talents. All while having fun with a group of ready-made friends!

We’re dedicated to girls leading the way - they choose activities, challenges and events that inspire them,

and our volunteers support them to make it happen. Because girls shape and lead everything we do, we

know that we’re offering the best opportunities and experiences for girls today.

HOW GUIDING

BENEFITS GIRLS

Webpage for parents – original version

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

Is this kind of language

likely to engage or

create emotion?

Hasn’t this point already

been made on this

page?

We need to make sure

every word and phrase is

adding something – is

this one? (Would we

expect people to be

uncarefully trained? And

aren’t volunteers by

deﬁnition dedicated?)

Slightly odd wording in

‘support other girls to

learn about’ – does this

mean to teach other

girls?

Speaking directly to

parents, which is good –

but where’s the energy in

‘develop her potential’?

And using ‘daughter’ may

exclude some people

(carers)

How many people join

Girlguiding to help with

career choices? This

seems a slightly odd

angle to focus on…

Feels a bit repetitive

– haven’t we read this

before?

The underlying message

here is a good one. But

the sentences could do

with more energy and

pace

Do we need this level of

detail here?

Do we want people to

leave this page at this

point? This link also takes

us to an Activity ﬁnder

page, not to a page

about games and sports

as you’d expect

View toned-up version

17 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Webpage for parents – toned-up version

Adventures for life

Whether she joins as a bright-eyed little Rainbow, in her teens or in between, she’ll learn, laugh, play, grow

and make friends in Girlguiding.

On our guiding programmes, she might…

• Try her hand at new games and sports

• Putupherrsttent

• Learn to keep a car running like a dream

• Hearherfavouritebandsatherrsteverfestival,our girls-only event Wellies and Wristbands

• Splash out in a canoe or kayak

• Connect with girls in other countries and have an international adventure

• Learn what it takes to be a leader

And much, much more.

Girlguiding is...

Shaped by girls

We give them a safe and welcoming space to grow and have fun. Alongside other girls and skilled volunteer

leaders, she’ll be able to choose the activities she loves doing and to try new things. Girls set their own

direction, and they give us ours. That’s why we’ve refreshed our programme and activities, based on what

girls have told us, to help them thrive in today’s world.

Home > Information for parents > Guiding’s good for girls

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

GUIDING’S

GOOD FOR GIRLS

What she’ll get out of guiding

Short, energetic heading

Short, impactful

sentence

We’re still speaking to

parents here

To the point, clear and

inviting

Concise and compelling

heading that focuses

on a key thing that girls

get out of guiding

Everyday, descriptive

language gives this

sentence energy and

clarity

A shorter, more

manageable list that still

paints a picture of the

variety of activities

View original version

18 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Girlguiding’s public liability insurance gives you cover

for guiding activities

It protects Girlguiding and our members against claims of negligence by Girlguiding, or persons acting on

Girlguiding’s behalf, that causes damage to third party property or injury to third parties. The cover includes

the cost of legal action.

Who is covered?

The policy covers Girlguiding members, or anyone acting on behalf of Girlguiding, while taking part in a

recognised guiding activity. As a member, you do not have to be in guiding wear for our policy to cover you,

but you must adhere to all rules and policies associated with the activity - otherwise any claim may be

invalidated.

The policy is in respect of acts by members of Girlguiding and does not cover acts of members of other

organisations when participating in joint activities. These people should have their own public liability

insurance.

Details of our policy

• There is an excess of £100 in respect of third party property damage.

• All our members can be considered third parties.

• You can show that you are covered by displaying the publicliabilityinsurancecerticate.

Why might I need to show I am covered?

Itisusefultohavethecerticateavailableformanyaspectsofrunningyourunit.Somemeetingplaces

requireacopyofthepublicliabilityinsurancecerticatebeforelettingyouhire.Also,youmightneedto

showthecerticateifyouareholdingastandatanevent.

Webpage for members – original version

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

It’s a small detail…but

we can only learn more

if we’ve already learned

something. We don’t

really need ‘more’ in

this phrase

Does this paragraph

sound like Girlguiding

or like something out of

an insurance policy? It’s

long and full of jargon…

The formal wording (‘in

respect of acts’) is

affecting clarity and

tone

The voice on this page is

switching back and forth

from Girlguiding’s (our

policy) to the reader’s

(I need to)

PUBLIC LIABILITY

INSURANCE

Learn more about our

public liability insurance

policy for members and

what it covers

The cost of legal action

for who?

A missing contraction

(‘don’t’) gives this a

formal, slightly stiff tone

Does this phrase add

anything? Isn’t the page

speaking to members?

So what does this really

mean for members?

Why not simply say ‘for’?

View toned-up version

19 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

WE’VE GOT

YOU COVERED

How we insure our members

against public liability

Accidents do happen…

Eventothebestofus.Sowehavepublicliabilityinsurancetoprotectus–andyou–ifsomeone

(a ‘third party’) makes a claim for damages or injury caused by negligence. The policy covers legal

costs, too.

Who is covered?

Any member of Girlguiding who’s acting on our behalf on a guiding activity. You don’t have to be wearing

a guiding uniform to be covered. But you do have to be working in line with our rules and policies for the

insurance to be valid.

Members of other organisations joining us in activities should have their own insurance.

Make sure everyone’s protected

• If you’re hiring a venue, check that the venue owner has their own public liability cover for up to £5

million.Youmayneedtosignahireagreementtoconrmcover.

• If you’re holding a joint event, make sure the other organisation has a similar level of public liability

insurance to Girlguiding.

•

When you’re running an activity, always check that the activity provider has public liability cover for up

to £5 million.

Good to know…

•

There’s a £100 excess payable for third-party property damage claims.

• Any member can be considered a third party – in other words, you could make a claim if, say, your

property is damaged during a Girlguiding activity.

•

You can downloadacerticate to prove that you’re covered by public liability insurance. This might be

useful when you’re hiring a venue or a stand at an event.

Webpage for members – toned-up version

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

Snappy and reassuring

Clear and to the point –

if you click on this you

know what you’re going

to be reading

Down to earth, inclusive

start to the page

Natural, everyday

language helps make

messages easy to follow

A clear heading that’s

also a call to action

Immediately brings the

reader into the picture

(you), instead of talking

about them as if they

aren’t there (members)

Keeps language

conversational, but

provides legal term where

necessary

More helpful link wording

View original version

20 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

NoticationofDisclosureCheckRequired

Dear <name>

As part of Girlguiding’s commitment to maintaining a safe space in guiding, disclosure checks will be renewed

everyveyears.Wearecontactingyoutonotifyyouthatyourdisclosurecheckforyourrole(s)inguidingneeds

to be renewed by <date>.

PleasecontactyourcommissionerorlocalIDveriertomakearrangementsforanewdisclosurechecktobe

undertaken.YoucanndtheircontactdetailsusingtheAreaContactDetailsreportonGO!.Ifyouhavenot

undertaken a re-check within the next two months, you will be sent another reminder email.

We encourage all volunteers to undertake a new disclosure check as soon as possible to ensure that you can

continue in your role in guiding. If you have changed your role then please speak to your local commissioner who

will ensure your GO! Record is updated. At this current time you are still able to attend residential events and

unit meetings as relevant.

Whencompletingadisclosurere-checkyouwillbeaskedtoshowformsofidenticationtoalocalIDverier.You

canndthefulllistofidenticationyoucanuseatthis link. You will never be asked to send these by post and

theIDverierwillnotkeepacopyofthesedocuments.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the organisation and if you have any questions about undertaking a

disclosure re-check, please visit our FAQs on our website here.

Kind regards,

Membership and Recruitment Department

Email to members – original version

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

What are these phrases

adding?

Isn’t this from a real

person?

Do we need such a

formal sign-on in an

email?

How will this subject line

make people feel? For

some, it might seem

rather scary and

offputting…

Without line spaces

between paragraphs,

this email looks like one

heavy block of text

Why don’t we just say

‘our’? Using the

organisation’s name has

a distancing effect

Better to use more

speciﬁc, clear link

wording: ‘this link’ could

lead anywhere

Does this phrase really

add anything?

Renewed by who?

(Passive verbs cloud

meaning)

This phrase could put

people off – it sounds

vague and potentially

time-consuming

Does the tone here feel

like Girlguiding or like a

corporate communication?

Things like missing

contractions (‘you’ve’)

and formal, passive

language (‘undertaken’,

‘you will be sent’) all add

to the tone

This is very useful info,

but it’s slightly buried at

this point in the email

Asked by who? (Passive

language takes people

out of the picture)

Quite a long sentence

(and another vague link)

View toned-up version

21 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

It’s time to renew your disclosure check

Hello <name>

From time to time we have to do things in Girlguiding that might not be particularly enjoyable, but that are

necessarytokeepourgirlssafe.Oneoftheseisrenewingdisclosurecheckseveryveyears.

Please renew your disclosure check by <date> so that you can continue your Girlguiding activities

uninterrupted. Here’s what you need to do:

1. ContactyourcommissionerorlocalIDverier–you’llndtheirdetailsonGOunderAreacontactdetails.

2. They’ll talk you through the next steps, one of which will be to show us new ID documents.

Thanks so much for helping us with this important paperwork. Once it’s done, you’ll be all clear to enjoy

Girlguidingforanotherveyears.

If you have any questions at all about this, please come back to me or ask your commissioner.

Many thanks

<name>

Membership team

Email to members – toned-up version

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

A clear, more energetic

subject heading

A much warmer and

more natural way to

start an email

Very honest and down

to earth – you can hear

someone saying this

Acknowledges the effort

this will involve – and

takes the time to thank

people. Much more ‘in

tune’

Gives this a human face

A less bureaucratic-

sounding team name

I know what I’m going to

ﬁnd if I click on this link

Another reminder of the

beneﬁts

Conversational language

makes this sound much

more real and heartfelt

The main call to action is

bolded to stand out – and

is closely linked to the

beneﬁt of doing this

Actions are clearly laid

out – and seem much

less daunting

View original version

22 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Reaching new heights

The fantastic courses at Blackland

Farm will empower you to keep

leadingwithcondence

You’re probably aware that Blackland

Farm offers great activities for young girls,

but did you know about the variety of

opportunities for adults too? The instructors

at Blackland Farm excel in helping people

to enhance their leadership skills – and offer

trainingcoursesandqualicationsthatare

recognised by national governing bodies.

Whether you want to boost your personal

development or be able to offer even more

activities to your unit, there’s something

to suit everyone. For example, there are

trainingcoursesforleadersincamping,rst

aid and navigation. Or, if you’re keen to

broaden your horizons, there’s everything

from archery instruction and British Canoe

Union courses to Girlguiding Level 1 climbing

and abseiling. Blackland Farm can also offer

bespoke sessions if you fancy trying your

hand at some more unusual activities, such

as tractor driving or safely using a chainsaw!

The instructors will discuss your aims and

the outcomes you hope to achieve before

you make a start, to ensure that you learn

inawaythatsuitsandbenetsyoumost.

Visit girlguiding.org.uk/adventure-made-

easy to learn more about leadership

training opportunities for adults

From a newsletter – original version

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

Quite a lot to to take in

at a glance

If everything is in one

long, dense paragraph,

it’s harder for key

messages to stand out

What does this really

mean? Will people know

what these ‘national

governing bodies’ are?

We’re involving the reader

(with ‘you’ and the

question), but we could

be more concise here

Because it’s so long, this

sentence gets tangled up

with its punctuation

Why not include the

reader in this instead of

talking about them in the

third person? (For adults)

View toned-up version

23 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Learning without limits

Add new strings to your bow

at Blackland Farm

Blackland Farm isn’t just for girls. We have

courses galore that will give you new skills

toleadwithcondence.Areyouaftera

qualicationthat’snationallyrecognised?

We’ve got you covered. Want to develop

your personal or leaderships skills? Covered.

Looking to learn new things to add to your

unit’s activities? Look no further.

We offer training in everything from

camping,rstaidandnavigationtoarchery,

canoeing, climbing and abseiling – and can

even teach things like tractor driving and

using a chainsaw. And we tailor our training

to your individual aims and learning style

to make sure you get the most out of your

time.

Learn more about the training you can do

at girlguiding.org.uk/adventure-made-easy

From a newsletter – toned-up version

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

Much more engaging

and energetic heading

Short, focused sentences

give this pace and punch.

Colourful phrases like

‘courses galore’ make it

sound lively

Examples are more

concisely worded and

easier to grasp

A heading that’s closer to

the subject matter

Pulls the reader in (and

structures the messaging)

through questions

The conversational

language makes this more

concise and conﬁdent

A clear, inviting call to

action

The paragraphs help break

up the information and

make the whole thing

much more reader-friendly

View original version

24 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

From an annual report - original version

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport 

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

Long, complex sentences

like these create a heavy

tone and are taxing on

readers

Another long, heavy

sentence

We’re saying very

positive things here –

can we do it in a more

concise and energetic

way? Do we need to

make the point about

staging the roll-out

again?

Would this sound more

conﬁdent without ‘very’?

No need for full stops at

the ends of these phrases

Are these different

enough to merit using

both words?

Why not simply ‘review’?

Making points like these

more concise will make

them clearer and give

them more impact

2018 was another year of change in Girlguiding,

with new quality standards and a completely

redeveloped programme for young members, as

well as new guidance and training for volunteers

on safeguarding, managing information and GDPR

compliance, and using our new programme.

We saw a drop in the percentage of girls and

young women who would recommend guiding to a

friend, but at 86% our net promoter score remains

very strong. We anticipate that this will rise again

in 2019 as our brand new youth programme beds

in and young members experience the full range

of innovative, exciting and stretching activities

within it.

Keeping girls safe is our top priority and following

the renewal of our safeguarding training

programme ‘A Safe Space’ in 2017 we have

continued to roll this out, as part of a three-

year staged plan, to all our 100,000+ volunteers.

By the end of 2018, 35% of our volunteers had

completed level 1, 29% level 2, 36% level 3, and

35% of commissioners level 4. That equates to over

40,000 volunteers trained in the most up-to-date

safeguarding practices during 2018. The size of

our adult membership base means that refreshed

mandatory training is rolled out in stages over

multiple years and we are delighted to report that

we are on track to train 75% of our adult volunteers

by the end of 2020 in line with our target.

What we will achieve in 2019

•Continuethestagedroll-outofsafeguarding

training programme to volunteers.

•Developandupdateourrstaidtraininginline

with new policies and procedures.

•Furtherdevelopourofferforthe18-to-30age

group.

•Conductareviewofprevioussafeguardingcases

to ensure we learn from the past.

•Delivernewresourcesthatwillhelpleadersto

support girls who are experiencing mental health

issues.

•Implementalearninganddevelopmentstrategy

thatwillhelpvolunteerstofeelmorecondent

and comfortable in their roles and support high

quality guiding.

View toned-up version

25 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport 

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

From an annual report - toned-up version

In 2019, we’ll:

•Continuerollingoutoursafeguardingtraining

programme to volunteers

•Updateourrstaidtraininginlinewithnew

policies and procedures

•Enhanceourofferfor18-to30-year-olds

•Reviewprevioussafeguardingcasestomake

sure we learn from the past

•Bringinnewresourcestohelpleadersto

support girls experiencing mental health issues

•Introducealearninganddevelopmentstrategy

to support better guiding by helping volunteers

feelmorecondentandcomfortableintheir

roles

Breaking this out as a

shorter, summary

sentence gives it

impact and energy

The rest of this

information is easier to

follow in more focused,

shorter sentences

We’ve put the main

point ﬁrst and the

supporting ﬁgure at

the end

Another short sentence

with impact

A more concise and

positive intro phrase

More natural language

gives this a more positive

energy

Removing unnecessary

detail helps the main

points come through

More straight talking

language makes these

easier to follow

2018 was another year of change in Girlguiding.

We brought in new quality standards and

a completely redeveloped programme for

young members. And we introduced guidance

and volunteer training on using this new

programme, as well as safeguarding, managing

information and GDPR compliance.

Although we saw a drop in the percentage of

girls and young women who would recommend

guiding to a friend, our net promoter score is

still strong at 86%. We expect to see an uplift

in 2019, as our young members start to

enjoy the full range of innovative, exciting

and stretching activities in our brand-new

programme.

Keeping girls safe is our top priority. We’ve

continued to roll out our safeguarding training

programme ‘A Safe Space’ to all our 100,000+

volunteers, as part of a three-year staged

plan. By the end of 2018, 35% of our volunteers

hadnishedlevel1,29%level2,36%level3,

and 35% of commissioners level 4. That’s over

40,000 volunteers trained in 2018 in the most

up-to-date safeguarding practices. And we’re

on track to train 75% of our adult volunteers by

the end of 2020, in line with our target.

View original version

26 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

From a campaigning toolkit - original version

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport 

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

A few rules about your project

• Your project has to help at least one person

other than yourself.

•

Your project should aim to make change to

something in the wider world, outside of

Girlguiding

•

Your project should be line with Girlguiding’s

values and policies.

•

Your project can involve fundraising as long

asthereareclearandjustiedreasonsfor

how this will help you achieve the aim of

your project, and it’s not the sole aim of your

project.

•

Your project can’t provide marketing for a

business.

•

Your project shouldn’t attack or involve being

abusive to other people or groups.

Onceyouhavedecidedonyourspecicissue

and solution you need to tell your Network

Coordinator and talk through next steps with

them before launching your project.

Talking about rules

sets a school teacher

like tone

‘Your project’ is

repeated nine times

here – could there be a

more streamlined way

of presenting this

information?

Do we need to say this,

if we’ve already

mentioned Girlguiding

values and policies? If

we do, could we put it

in a more positive way?

Language like ‘has to’

and ‘should’ add to the

slightly bossy feel

This kind of language

might be off-putting to

some people

Again, words like

‘launching’ could be

daunting for some people

View toned-up version

27 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

•Webpageforparents

•Webpageformembers 

•Emailtomembers

•Fromanewsletter

•Fromanannualreport 

•Fromacampaigningtoolkit

•Fromanapplicationpack

Back to contents page

From a campaigning toolkit - toned-up version

Set your project up for success

It should:

•

Help at least one other person – hopefully lots

more!

•

Lead to some sort of change in the world

(beyond just Girlguiding)

•

Be in line with our values and policies

Things to check:

•

If you’re raising money, is this for good

reasons? This should only be part of what your

project is trying to achieve.

•

Are you helping a business to market itself?

Your project really shouldn’t be doing this.

As soon as you’re clear on your project’s focus

and goals, talk things over with your network

coordinator. She’ll help you with your planning,

so that you can go ahead and get started.

A more positive, helpful

heading

The information is

grouped logically to

avoid repetition

Questions help to engage

people and get them

thinking

The shift from ‘you need

to tell’ to ‘talk things over’

makes this sound much

less daunting

Little conversational

asides like this sound

human and encouraging

View original version

28 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

• Webpage for parents

• Webpage for members

• Email to members

• From a newsletter

• From an annual report

• From a campaigning toolkit

• From an application pack

Back to contents page

From an application pack - original version

Out of line with the

Girlguiding

capitalisation principles

Using more direct and

everyday language

would help this sound

more human and

straight talking

Perhaps this should have

been mentioned before

now?

Referring to Girlguiding

in the third person

keeps people at arm’s

length

Does this need to be

speciﬁed to someone

we’re considering for

such a critical role?

Could be much more

concise

This is what jumps out at

the reader from this

sentence – do we really

want to emphasise a

negative in this way?

How to Apply

In order to express your interest in the role of Chair of the Finance

Committee, please send your CV with a covering letter of no more than

four sides of A4 outlining the following:

● how you full the person specication

● why you wish to be considered for the role of Chair of the Finance

Committee

Please give examples of your skills and knowledge. These may have

been gained from your work, or from volunteer roles inside or outside

of guiding.

(Please note those people employed by Girlguiding cannot apply for

a trustee position.)

Please send your CV, covering letter, reference details and

completed equal opportunities monitoring form by email to

hrvacancies@girlguiding.org.uk.

The closing date is Sunday 6 January 2019 at midnight.

Referees

Please provide by email details of two referees who should be able

to evidence your ability to work strategically at Board level and your

specialist knowledge in relation to the person specication above.

Girlguiding will take up references for relevant candidates following

the interview stage.

Registered charity number 306016

Chair of Finance Committee

Application pack

www.girlguiding.org.uk

Chair of Finance Committee

Application pack

View toned-up version

29 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Registered charity number 306016

Chair of Finance Committee

Application pack

www.girlguiding.org.uk

SECTION 2: Our voice in action

Flexing our tone

Before and after examples:

• Webpage for parents

• Webpage for members

• Email to members

• From a newsletter

• From an annual report

• From a campaigning toolkit

• From an application pack

Back to contents page

From an application pack - toned-up version

Involves the reader

Natural, more

conversational language

makes this clearer and

genuine

Being more concise and

straight talking makes all

of this much more

readable – and helps

Girlguiding come across

as a more authentic,

modern and open

organisation

Much more to the point

and inviting

Offered here as a

reminder and mentioned

at the start of the

application pack

If you’d like to apply…

Please send us your CV and a covering letter (four sides of A4 maximum)

explaining why you’re the right person to chair our Finance Committee,

including:

● how you meet the requirements of this role – with specic examples

of relevant skills and knowledge

● why you’re interested in contributing to Girlguiding in this way

Please give examples of your skills and knowledge. These may have

been gained from your work, or from volunteer roles inside or outside of

guiding.

(Reminder: trustee positions aren’t open to Girlguiding employees.)

Please email your CV, covering letter, reference details and completed

equal opportunities monitoring form to hrvacancies@girlguiding.org.uk

by midnight on Sunday 6 January 2019.

Referees

Please give us contact details for two referees who can verify that

you can work strategically at board level, as well as your specialist

knowledge relating to this role. We normally contact referees after the

interview stage.

View original version

Chair of Finance Committee

Application pack

30 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Section 3

Our style guidelines

31 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Whenever we write, we need to be consistent and error-free. Some people really notice the

details and expect us to get them right, so this guide will help you make sure you’re always

using the right style for Girlguiding.

If you need to look something up that isn’t included here, check the Guardian/Observer style

guide online:

theguardian.com/styleguide

This is our default guide for advice on how to handle things like punctuation, capitalisation,

spelling and grammar.

Writing with style

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

Look and layout

Glossary

Back to contents page

32 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Abbreviations and acronyms

Try not to use internal abbreviations in

external communications. Always think

about whether people will understand

them, and if there’s a more natural way

to say it.

If you have to use an acronym that people

might not be familiar with, always spell it

outthersttimeandputtheabbreviation

in brackets, like this:

A note on plurals: to create a plural of an

acronym, simply add an ‘s’ to the end

without an apostrophe, as in ‘there are

several PDFs’.

Our house style

BGO British Girlguiding Overseas

GOLD Guiding Overseas Linked

with Development

LGBT Lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans

NYA National Youth Agency

WAGGGS World Association of Girl Guides

and Girl Scouts

A note on capitalisation: usually, when you

pronounce each letter of an acronym it’s

written in all capitals, like HIV. When you

say an acronym like a word it only takes

an initial capital, like ‘Aids’.

However, Girlguiding acronyms that are

said like a word still appear in all capitals,

like ‘GOLD’, ‘ICANDO’ and ‘WAGGGS’. Only

use block capitals for acronyms like these

– otherwise, try to avoid them.

Here are some acronyms that we

frequently use at Girlguiding and what

they stand for.

We ask all volunteers to have a criminal

record check before working with our girls

– called the Disclosure and Barring Service

(DBS) check.

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

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Glossary

Back to contents page

33 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Capital letters

Capitals draw attention to a particular word, but they also make sentences slower to read and

are best minimised. We try to use them consistently and avoid overusing them. If in doubt, use

lower case.

Don’t capitalise:

•

Things in general (common nouns):

uniforms, insurance policy, training

materials, volunteers

•

Job roles in body copy:

– We’ll be sending a free resource

pack to all unit leaders.

– Our chief executive is Angela Salt

and our operations director is

Jonathan Whitehead.

•

Any word simply to make it feel more

important

•

The words we use to describe Girlguiding

areas, such as ‘regions’, ‘counties’, etc:

our Lanark district, our Tamworth division

•

 Thewords‘award’,‘badge’,‘qualication’

or ‘team’ when naming one:

– Laurel award

– Mindfulness badge

– Leadershipqualication

– Safeguarding team

• Everyword,excepttherstone,in

headings, titles, labels, navigation, etc

– Child safety information

Use initial capitals for:

•

Names of things (‘proper nouns’)

– Brands: Adidas, Twitter

– Places:London,Europe,

Waddow Hall

– People: Prince William,

Beyoncé

– Unique projects, events and

initiatives: Big Gig,

Future Girl

•

Publications: Girls’ Attitudes Survey

and The Guardian

•

 Therstwordsonlyofheadings,

subheads, labels, banners and

navigation – not every word

•

Job titles on a business card or in

an email signature

•

Job titles in body copy when they

precede and form part of someone’s

name, or are immediately after it

betweencommas:ChiefExecutive

Angela Salt and Jonathan Whitehead,

Operations Director, attended the

meeting on behalf of Girlguiding.

If you want to check capitalisation for a particular Girlguiding term, go to our glossary.

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

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Glossary

Back to contents page

34 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Conjunctions

There’s nothing wrong with starting

sentences with conjunctions like ‘and’,

‘but’ and ‘or’. It’s perfectly grammatically

correct and is more common these days

– in fact, it can be a useful way to add a

bit of energy to your writing. But use them

sparingly and make sure they’re followed

by complete sentences.

Contractions

Contractions like ‘it’s’ or ‘isn’t’ shorten

two words by adding an apostrophe. We

use contractions to give our writing a more

natural, human tone – words like ‘I’ve’,

‘we’ve’ and ‘you’ll’. The trick is to read

your text out loud to make sure it sounds

naturalandowsproperly.

Dates

We use this format for dates: day, month

thenyear.Wedon’tusesufxes(12th,

20th, 1st).

It’s often helpful to say the day too – and

you only need to specify the year when it’s

not obvious:

Ifyou’reusingdatesinatable,it’sneto

abbreviate the longer names of months:

For decades, we talk about the 1990s, the

nineties or the ’90s, never the 1990’s, and

make sure we’re consistent.

Email addresses

Write email addresses in lower case. If you’re

writing an email address at the end of a

sentence,it’snetofollowitwithafullstop.

Hashtags #

Use initial capitals for each word in hashtags:

Headlines and headings

Onlytherstletteroftherstwordshould

be capitalised, unless it’s a proper noun.

ie and eg

Remember: ie means in other words, while

eg means for example. It’s usually best to

write out these phrases instead of using

the abbreviations. If you do use the

abbreviation, no full stops are necessary.

#GirlsAttitudes

12 September 2019

12 Sept 2019

Thursday 12 September

How to use the brand

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

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Glossary

Back to contents page

35 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Money

Use the £ symbol instead of writing out

the word ‘pounds’. And don’t use decimals

unless there are pence to include:

Numbers

Use words for one to ten, and write

numbers for 11 and above. (To remember

this, think ‘11 plus’.)

Don’t mix the two in the same sentence:

If you’re writing a headline or space is

limited (like in a table), then you can

write one to ten as digits.

We usually write ages in numbers and

hyphenate the compound:

Contrary to the above, for web writing it

is best practice to use digits for all

numbers.

Percentages

Use the symbol instead of spelling out the

word. They should be written as numerals:

Phone numbers

Break these after the area code:

Break UK mobile numbers into groups of

veandsixdigits:

Singular/plural

Girlguiding and The Guide Association take

a singular verb:

Spelling

We use British spelling (not American). If

in doubt, check the Guardian/Observer

online style guide or the Concise Oxford

English Dictionary: oxforddictionaries.com.

Instead of… Use… disabled

£45.00

£45

There are ten counties in Girlguiding Ulster.

There are 19 counties in our London and

SouthEastEnglandregion.

There are 4 men and 12 women on our

board of trustees.

12-year-olds

Instead of… Use…

50 per cent 50%

020 7834 6242

0161 941 2237

028 9042 5212

not 0289 042 5212 (Northern Ireland)

07XXX XXXXXX

Girlguiding is…

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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Glossary

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36 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Times

Write times like this:

Use the 12-hour clock (11pm) rather than

the 24-hour clock (23.00).

Websites

We don’t include the ‘www’ when writing

website addresses:

Avoid giving links or breadcrumbs in

printed text, as these can easily become

outdated and impossible to follow.

Instead, say:

9.30am, 10pm

girlguiding.org.uk

search for <X> on our website

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

Look and layout

Glossary

Back to contents page

37 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

Look and layout

Glossary

Back to contents page

Inclusive language

We want everyone to feel welcome and included at Girlguiding. So we try to avoid language that

denesorexcludesanyone–orthatmakesassumptionsaboutthem.Pleasetakethisadviceasa

guide to current good practice. It’s by no means exhaustive, and language changes quickly.

General principles

• Use the pronoun ‘they’ when gender

is unknown or mixed. If you’re not

sure what pronoun to use when

referring to an individual, it’s always

best to ask them.

•

When describing someone with a

particular characteristic (such as

religionordisability),askyourselfrst

if you even need to mention it. Is it

relevant?

•

If it is relevant, take their lead if

possible and use the language they

use. If in doubt, check with them

– people appreciate this.

•

 It’salwaysbettertobespecicwhere

you can – try and use the correct

language but don’t tiptoe around

something. Instead of ‘we want our

imagery to show diversity’, say ‘we

want our imagery to show racially

diverse people’.

• Don’t use an adjective as a noun when

describing a person’s characteristic.

For example, instead of ‘Muslims’, say

‘Muslim girls’.

•

Try not to make too many assumptions, or

you may exclude certain groups and people.

For example, it may not always be a parent

who takes a Rainbow to their meeting.

•

 Beasspecicasyoucanwhentalking

about an individual or a community. For

example, say ‘the Bengali community’

rather than ‘the Asian community’.

•

When referring to the wider black, Asian

and minority ethnic group we use the

acronymBAME.Aswithallacronyms,think

about whether you’ll need to explain it

for your audience.

• And when talking about socio-economic

barriers, say ‘lower income area’ or

‘areas of deprivation’ rather than

‘disadvantaged area’.

38 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

Look and layout

Glossary

Back to contents page

More on inclusive language

The government guidelines on talking about disability:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication/inclusive-language-words-to-

use-and-avoid-when-writing-about-disability

The Chartered Insurance Institute’s inclusive language guidelines:

www.cii.co.uk/media/10120292/inclusive-language-guidelines.pdf

The inclusive language section of the NHS digital service manual:

https://beta.nhs.uk/service-manual/content/inclusive-language

Instead of… Use…

disabled toilets/lifts

accessible toilets/lifts

elderly person/volunteer older person/volunteer

female woman/young woman/girl

a girl/young woman with disabilities a disabled girl/young woman

mum or parents parents/carers

additional needs disabilities and long-term conditions

39 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Ampersands (&)

Only use ampersands in brand names

(M&S), unless you’re struggling with space

(for example, in a table). In normal

sentences, spell out the word ‘and’.

Apostrophes

Apostrophes can be tricky. But they’re

important – getting this basic punctuation

wrong can irritate people.

We use an apostrophe for two reasons:

To show that a letter or letters have

been left out: don’t forget, I’m

afraid. See contractions.

To show possession: this month’s

publication. If the owner is plural,

the apostrophe usually comes after

the ‘s’. If the plural doesn’t end in

an ‘s’, you can treat it as singular.

So, the bees’ knees is talking about more

than one bee. And the bee’s knees? Just

the one bee.

Punctuation

There are two situations that can cause

problems, so watch out for them:

Ordinary plurals don’t need

apostrophes. ‘We sell apple’s and

pear’s’ is wrong.

2. It’s or its? It’s means it is or it has.

Its means belonging to it, which is

unusual because it shows possession

but doesn’t need an apostrophe: the

companyiscondentaboutits

future.

Brackets

Use brackets (like this), not square

brackets [like this].

If you’re putting a whole sentence into

brackets, put the full stop inside too. (This

is a full sentence in brackets, so it has its

full stop inside.)

If you’re only putting part of a sentence

inside the brackets then you need to put

the full stop outside (like this).

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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Punctuation

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Glossary

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40 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Dashes

These can be used between parts of

sentences instead of commas or

semicolons. They add a little more

emphasis and can also be a useful way of

breaking up long sentences – but be

careful not to overuse them.

Exclamation marks

Use exclamation marks sparingly, as they

can give your writing a slightly hysterical

tone. (We don’t throw in exclamation

marks as an easy way of sounding

enthusiastic.)

Wheneveryoundyourselfusingone,

always check how it reads without. Then

only use it if you think it adds an

important emphasis.

Full stops

We use these at the ends of sentences,

and that’s it.

Hyphens

When referring to young people by their

age, we hyphenate the compound:

And when two or more words join

together as a description before a noun,

it’s best to hyphenate them where there’s

any chance of confusion:

Tip:whentherstwordendsin–ly,you

don’t hyphenate the compound: specially

designed uniforms.

Quotations

Use single quotation marks. For quotes

within quotes use double quotation marks.

14-year-olds

The chief guide told the girls, ‘My mum

always used to say to me “you can be

whatever you want to be.”’

You need to make three monthly payments.

(three payments over three months)

You need to make three-monthly payments.

(one payment every three months)

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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Glossary

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41 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Bold

Use bold sparingly to emphasise words,

numbers and dates. It’s a great way of

makingsomethingstandoutatrstglance,

so bold text is ideal for key information

such as URLs or email addresses.

Don’t use bold too often, though. And

never use it for an entire paragraph – when

everything is in bold, nothing stands out.

Bold italic

Bold italic makes text hard to read, so stick

with bold alone.

Headings and subheadings

Don’t use end punctuation, except when

you need a question mark. Don’t use a full

stop at the end, and think long and hard

about using exclamation marks.

Use a capital letter only at the start and

lower case after that, except for proper nouns.

Look and layout

Italics

We put publication titles in italics, except

on our website.

Otherwise, use them sparingly – they

make writing look cluttered and are hard

to read online.

You can use them for a gentle emphasis.

Words in italic will stand out as important

when someone reads what you’ve written,

but they won’t stand out at a glance like

bold. This means that italics are best for a

softer emphasis, like a note or reminder.

Links

We avoid using phrases like ‘click here’

when linking. Instead we make our links

clearer and more meaningful so that they

stand out and indicate where they lead to.

What Adults Do in Guiding

What adults do in guiding

If you have any questions about

undertaking a disclosure re-check,

please visit our FAQs on our website

here.

You’llndmoreinformationabout

disclosure re-checks in our FAQs.

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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42 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Lists/bullets

Introduce lists with a colon, and use bullet

points like this:

Start each item in the list with a capital

letter.

Start your lists off with bullets. Only use

numbers if you’re listing a sequence or

starting your list off with a number phrase

(such as ‘Ten great reasons to join

Girlguiding’).

Spaces

Use a single space after a full stop. Like

this.

Use a single line between paragraphs.

There should be no space on either side of

a forward slash:

• Item 1

• Item 2

• If the items in the list are full

sentences, put a full stop at the end,

just as you would on a normal

sentence.

•

If it’s not a full sentence, there’s no

need for a full stop at the end.

•

And each list should be one or the

other, not a mixture of the two.

Instead of… Use…

and / or and/or

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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Glossary

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43 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Our organisation is full of language that’s unique to Girlguiding and the guiding movement.

We need to be mindful that this is our own very special jargon, and it can sometimes feel

exclusive. This glossary will help you write consistently for and about Girlguiding.

Glossary of common terms

1stResponse NotFirstResponse(ourrstaidtrainingscheme)

activities Use in relation to the programme only – when

referring to Future Girl say initiatives or

opportunities

activitycentres Lowercase;useforinternalaudiencesorafterrst

use of Girlguiding Activity Centres; we no longer

use TACs (training and activity centres)

activity theme Lower case

Adventure Made Easy Initial capitals and italics for publication

Adventurers Initial capital for the Future Girl topic

adviser Not advisor; lower case for role

Advocate; advocate Initial capital for the name of our panel, but

lower case for its members

Anglia region Initial capitals for place names; lower case on ‘region’

annual subscription Lower case

area Lower case (a broad term for our districts,

regions, counties, countries and divisions)

A Safe Space Initial capitals for the name of our safeguarding

scheme; initial capitals and italics when referring

to the resource

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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Glossary

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44 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

assistant leader Lower case for the role

award Lower case when referring to awards in general

 andwhengivingthenameofaspecicaward:

Laurel award

Baden-Powell Adventure Initial capitals for the name of this scheme

badge Lower case when talking about badges in general;

 uppercasefortherstwordofthebadgename

eg Active response badge

badge secretary Lower case for the role

BAME Acronymfortalkingaboutpeoplewhoareblack,

Asian and minority ethnic

barbecue Not barbeque or BBQ

Barrier Breakers Initial capital for the Future Girl topic

Be Well Upper case for the name of the programme theme

Beaver Scouts; Beavers Initial capitals (Scouts aged 8-10)

Being Our Best Initial capitals (our strategic plan for 2015-19)

Big Gig Initial capitals for the name of this event

Blackland Farm Initial capitals

board of trustees; the board Lower case

branch associations; branches Lower case

Bronze award Initial capitals for name of the award, lower case

for the word ‘award’

Our style Comments

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45 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Brownie; Brownies

Brownie buddy Initial capital on Brownie only

Brownie helper Initial capital on Brownie only

Brownie holiday Initial capital on Brownie only

Brownie unit Not Brownie pack

chief commissioner Lower case in body copy unless used as part of name

chief guide Lower case in body copy unless used as part of name

Climbing and Abseiling scheme Lower case on the word scheme

commissioner Lower case in body copy unless used as part of name

cooperate Not co-operate

coordinator Not co-ordinator

country; county Lower case, even when referring to the

Girlguiding area

Cub Scouts; Cubs Scouts aged 8-10

Girlguiding Cymru (Wales)

Our style Comments

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46 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

DBScheck;disclosurecheck • Eitherusetheabbreviation(standsforDisclosure

and Barring Service check) or the simple term

 • Onlytheabbreviationusescapitals

 • (UsedtobetheCRBcheck)

disabled person Instead of person with disabilities – see page 37

for more information

Discover, grow Lower case ‘grow’; newsletter in italics

district Lower case, even when referring to

Girlguiding area

district assistant; district commissioner Lower case in body copy unless used as part of name

division Lower case

Doing Our Best Upper case for our standards for good guiding

DukeofEdinburgh’sAward Spelloutwithinitialcapsatrstmention,

 thenDofE

e-card; e-learning; e-newsletter With hyphen

email One word, no hyphen

emergencyle Lowercase

ExplorerScouts;Explorers Scoutsaged14-18

ExpressMyself Uppercaseforthenameoftheprogrammetheme

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

Look and layout

Glossary

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47 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

fair trade Lower case and two words when describing

the general movement

Fairtrade One word with initial capital to refer to the

 ofcialtrademarkedname

rstaid;rstaider Lowercase

FiveEssentials Initialcapitalsforthenameofourprinciples

Forum for Young Women Initial capitals for this externally run project

founders Used to refer to our founders,

Robert Baden-Powell and Agnes Baden-Powell;

lower case

Foxlease Initial capital for the place

Free Being Me Initial capitals for name of this jointly run

programme; the resource is also in italics

fundraising One word, lower case

Future Girl Initial capitals

Future Girl Acts Initial capitals for this week of action

Girlguiding • Girlguidingiswhoweare(nounandadjective)

 • UseGirlguidingwhenreferringtothecharity

or our name

 • Oneword,initialcapital;don’tshortentoGG

or Guiding

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48 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Girlguiding Activity Centres Brand name for activity centres for external

audiences; initial capitals; don’t abbreviate

Girlguiding HQ We no longer say CHQ or Commonwealth

Headquarters

Girlguiding UK Use only in a global context

Girlguiding shop We can also refer to this as our volunteer shop;

don’t use the term trading

Girlguidingqualiedtrainer Lowercase;someonewhodeliverstrainingand

 hastheirTrainerqualication

Girls’ Attitudes Survey Initial capitals (and italics for the publication);

don’t use the abbreviation GAS externally

GO Initial caps for the name of our membership

system (Guiding Organiser)

Go for GOLD The selection event for GOLD

Going Away With Guiding Initial capitals and italics for the resource

Going Away With licence Initial capitals, except on the words licence

Going Away With scheme and scheme

GOLD Abbreviation for Guiding Overseas Linked

with Development

Gold award Initial capitals for name of the award, lower case

for the word ‘award’

good turn Lower case

government Always lower case

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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Our house style

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Punctuation

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49 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Guide;Guides • Initialcapitalwhenreferringtothe

10-14-year-old section

 • Useonlyinrelationtothemembersofthis

section – when referring to everyone say

‘all girls in Girlguiding’

TheGuideAssociation Thelegal/nancialentity–onlyusewhen

necessary: ‘please make cheques out to The

Guide Association’

Guide camp permit Initial capital on Guide only

Guide International Service (GIS) Initial capitals for the name of this project

Guide Law

guiding • Guidingiswhatwedo(verb)

 • Lowercase,exceptwhenit’sinasentence

with Scouting (Guiding and Scouting) or a global

context (World Guiding)

Guiding Essentials Initial capitals, in italics

The Guiding Handbook Initial capitals, in italics

guiding magazine Lower case, in italics

Have Adventures Upper case for the name of the programme theme

home contact Lower case for the role and system

ICANDO All capitals for our activity centre in London

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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50 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

innovate Lower case for the skills builder topic - see skills

builder for more info

interestbadges Uppercaseonrstwordonly;egFitnessinterest

badge, Book lover interest badge

InternationalScoutand Spelloutwithinitialcapsatrstmention,

Guide Fellowship (ISGF) then ISGF

International Women’s Day Initial capitals and apostrophe before the ‘s’

internet Lower case

jamboree Lower case, unless referring to the name of one

(Jamboree Denmark)

joint unit Lower case

Know Myself Upper case for the name of the programme theme

large bus permit Lower case

LaSER AbbreviationofLondonandSouthEastEngland

region

leader Lower case for role

leader in training Lower case; no hyphens

Leadershipqualication Initialcapitalsfornameofqualication;lower

 casefortheword‘qualication’

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

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51 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

leadership team Lower case

lend a hand Lower case

LGBT How we refer to the lesbian, gay, bisexual or

trans community

Little Giggle Upper case for the event

local authority Lower case

LondonandSouthEastEnglandregion Initialcapitalsforplacenames;lowercase

 on‘region’.OftenabbreviatedtoLaSER

Long Service award Initial capitals for name of award; lower case for

the word ‘award’

Magic and Mayhem Initial capitals for the name of the event

Marketing and Audience Initial capitals for the name of the team;

Engagementdepartment lowercasefortheword‘department’itself

members Lower case; avoid using externally: say volunteers

and girls instead

members’ area (on the website) Lower case with apostrophe

member organisation (of WAGGGS) Lower case

mentor Lower case for the role

mentoring Lower case

Midlands region Initial capitals for place names; lower case

on ‘region’

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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Our house style

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Punctuation

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52 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

no one No hyphen, two words

NorthEastEnglandregion Initialcapitalsforplacenames;lowercase

NorthWestEnglandregion on‘region’

occasional helper Lower case

online design centre Lower case

online shop Instead of web shop

ordercode • Lowercase

 • Girlguidingordercode,notTradingService

order code

 • Putcodebeforepricewhendescribingitems

parent/carer Lower case; not parent/guardian

Patrol Initial capitals when talking about a

Guide grouping

Patrol sleepover

patron Lowercase;ourpatronisHMQueenElizabethII

Pax Lodge Initial capitals for place name

PeerEducation UppercasewhenreferringtotheGirlguiding

project; lower case if talking about it generally

peer educator Lower case for role

peer group residential events Lower case

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

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53 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Planet Protectors Initial capitals for the Future Girl topic

plastic promise All lower case unless in hashtag #PlasticPromise

programme Lower case

programme renewal Lower case

Promise Always capitalised when talking about the

Girlguiding Promise

Promise badge Initial capital for Promise (see note above),

but not for ‘badge’ itself

Promise celebration Not enrolment

Promise sign

the Queen Always capitalised; we can initially say Her Majesty

The Queen, then HM the Queen or the Queen

on subsequent mentions

Queen’s Guide

Queen’s Guide award Initial capitals

Rainbow; Rainbows Initial capital when referring to section for

girls aged 5-7

Rainbow chat

Rainbow helper

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

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54 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Ranger; Rangers Initial caps when referring to section for ages 14-18

recognised volunteer

recruitment checks

region Always lower case

residential Lower case

Respect Makers Initial capitals for the Future Girl topic; no hyphen

Safeguarding team Initial capital for the name of the team;

lower case for the word ‘team’ itself

Girlguiding Scotland

Scouting Always capitalised; in sentences that refer to both,

Scouts guidingalwayscomesrstandisuppercase:

The Scout Association Guiding and Scouting

Scout Network The Scout section for 18-25-year-olds

Scouts The Scout section for 10

-14-year-olds

second Lower case when referring to the deputy leader

of a Patrol or Six

section Lower case

Self Believers Initial capitals for the Future Girl topic; no hyphen

Silver award Initial capitals for name of the award, lower case

for the word ‘award’

Silver Fish award Initial capitals for name of award; lower case for

the word ‘award’

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

Writing with style

Our house style

Inclusive language

Punctuation

Look and layout

Glossary

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55 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Six Initial capitals when talking about a Brownie

grouping

sixer Lower case for the role

skills builders Lower case; skills builder names have initial

 capitalforrstwordonly:egFirstaidskills

builder, Innovate skills builder. Stages are in

upper case: eg Stage 1 Innovate skills builder

Skills For My Future Upper case for the name of the programme theme

Sparkle and Ice Initial capitals for the name of the event

socialservices Lowercaseunlessreferringtoaspecicbody:

Hertfordshire Social Services

SouthWestEnglandregion Initialcapitalsonplacebutnottheword

‘region’

survival skills Lower case for the unit meeting activity topic

Take Action Upper case for the name of the programme theme

taskandnishgroup Lowercase

Theme award Initial capitals for name of the award, lower case

for the word ‘award’

they Use as a gender-neutral third-person pronoun

trainer Lower case; someone who delivers training but is

 notGirlguidingqualied

Our style Comments

SECTION 3: Our style guidelines

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Our house style

Inclusive language

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56 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Trainerqualication Initialcapitalsfornameofqualication;

 lowercasefortheword‘qualication’

training opportunities Lower case

trans (adj) Lower case, preferable to transgender;

don’t use transsexual

Travelling Abroad training programme Initial caps only on the name of the module

trefoil Lower case

Trefoil Guild Initial capitals for name; lower case when talking

generally about individual guilds

trustee Lower case

tweet Lower case (for verb and noun)

Twisted Tech Initial capitals for the event name

Twitter Initial capital on the brand name

UK • England,Wales,ScotlandandNorthernIreland

 • Avoidsaying‘thiscountry’or‘thisnation’when

you mean the UK

 • Don’tsay‘thecapital’or‘thenationalanthem’

without specifying which one

Girlguiding Ulster

unit

unit helper Lower case for role

unit leader Lower case for role; we don’t say guider

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Punctuation

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57 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

unit meeting Lower case

unit meeting activities Lower case; also for unit meeting activity topics:

eg survival skills

unit meeting activity cards Lower case

volunteer Lower case

volunteer shop Lower case; we can also say Girlguiding shop

Waddow Hall Not just Waddow

webpage One word

wellbeing One word

Wellies and Wristbands Initial capitals for event name

World badge

World Centres These are Our Chalet in Switzerland,

Our Cabaña in Mexico, Pax Lodge in the UK,

 SangaminIndiaandKusariinAfrica

world chief guide Lower case in body copy unless using as part

of name

World Conference

World Flag

World Guiding Guiding has an initial capital in this context

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58 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

World Thinking Day Initial capitals

young leader Lower case for role

YoungLeaderqualication Initialcapitalsfornameofqualication;lower

 casefortheword‘qualication’

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59 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Girlguiding messaging

Our vision

Anequalworldwhereallgirlscanmakeapositivedifference,behappyandsafe,andfull

their potential.

Our mission

Throughfun,friendship,challengeandadventureweempowergirlstondtheirvoice,

inspiring them to discover the best in themselves and to make a positive difference in

their community.

Who we are

In one sentence

Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK.

Short version

Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK. We build girls’

condenceandraisetheiraspirations.Wegivethemthechancetodiscovertheirfullpotential

and encourage them to be a powerful force for good. We give them a space to have fun.

Full version

Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK. Thanks to the

dedication and support of 100,000 amazing volunteers, we are active in every part of the UK,

giving girls and young women a space where they can be themselves, have fun, build brilliant

friendships, gain valuable life skills and make a positive difference to their lives and their

communities.Webuildgirls’condenceandraisetheiraspirations.Wegivethemthechance

to discover their full potential and encourage them to be a powerful force for good.

Our key messages

• We are for all girls.

• We give girls their own space.

• We give girls a voice.

• We change as the lives of girls change.

Girlguiding messaging

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60 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

Good writing checklist

Does the writing sound straight talking, enthusiastic and

in tune?

Is the language everyday and active, with plenty of you,

we, our, your, etc?

Does it sound conversational, like a real (likeable) person

talking?

Are sentences and paragraphs focused, concise and

manageable?

Have you focused on what matters (and why) to your audience?

Do the main points stand out?

Where possible, have you used descriptive language, examples

and real voices to paint a picture?

Are the details (such as capital letters and punctuation) in line

with our house style?

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61 Girlguiding tone of voice guidelines

A helping hand…

If you have any questions about our tone of

voice and writing style or would like to add a

term to our glossary, please get in touch with

M&AE@girlguiding.org.uk.

TheseguidelineswerecreatedwiththesupportofEnoughSaid.



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