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Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 1
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 1
Membership
Growth
Trainers’
Toolkit
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 2
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 2
Contents
Introduction 3
Sample session plans 6
Section 1: Icebreakers, fillers and fun activities 16
Section 2: Planning, mapping and identifying local needs 30
Section 3: Promoting Girlguiding 40
Section 4: Recruitment 50
Section 4.1: Adult volunteers 50
Section 4.2: Young members 56
Section 5: Welcome and induction 64
Section 5.1: Adult volunteers 64
Section 5.2: Young members 76
Section 6: Flexibility and inclusion 86
Section 7: Retention 95
Resources 114
Appendices 115
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit
3
1
It is important that all Girlguiding members are equipped with the knowledge,
understanding and skills to support the growth of the organisation. This can range
from recruitment and retention to improving the organisation’s ability to be flexible
and increasing our diversity.
This toolkit has been written to support Trainers to deliver sessions of any length on the
topic of membership growth. You could be asked to deliver training:
8 as a membership growth workshop for various levels, eg County, Division, District
8 as part of an unrelated session, such as a programme training, during which the
activities and resources can be used to encourage Leaders to think about the
effects of a varied programme on recruitment.
Whatever the type and purpose of your training session, this toolkit gives you all the
resources you need to plan and deliver a session that will meet the needs of your
trainees and increase their awareness of, and enthusiasm for, membership growth.
What is membership growth?
Membership growth is about increasing the number of members in Girlguiding. Although
it encompasses all aspects of guiding, the priorities are as follows.
8 Strategic mapping and targeting growth, to help the membership grow at all
levels. This includes analysing and identifying opportunities for growth.
8 Recruitment of girls and young women, so we can offer every girl the opportunity
to be a member.
8 Recruitment of adults, so we have enough volunteers to provide high-quality
guiding to all girls who wish to join.
8 Welcome and induction processes which identify the needs of all members and
take into account their development and progression.
8 Sustaining long-term growth and supporting retention by:
- promoting successful transition between sections
- implementing thanks and recognition practices
- leadership development and high-quality programme delivery
- understanding flexible guiding methods that can better use our existing
resources
- promoting inclusion and diversity, so that we can welcome members from
all backgrounds.
8 Talking about guiding externally and actively promoting the organisation.
Introduction
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 4
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 4
2
What are the membership growth key messages?
The following key messages are aids that should be used by Trainers, Public Relations
Advisers (PRAs), Membership Growth Coordinators and Commissioners to inform what
they say when spreading awareness of growth in guiding.
These aids will ensure that a
consistent message to grow guiding is clearly communicated
. The messages underline
that the growth of the organisation is everyone’s responsibility and that we should all do
something to support growth.
• Message 1
Remember that every girl matters – try to involve just one more.
• Message 2
Make that welcome warm – new members of all ages want to feel they belong.
• Message 3
Make every meeting great – girls vote with their feet!
• Message 4
Ask for help – more volunteers means more benefits for both adults and girls.
How to use this toolkit
Each section of the toolkit covers a different aspect of membership growth and suggests
a selection of activities which can be used in a training session. The all-encompassing
nature of growth means that it will be important to tailor each session to the aims and
objectives of the trainees’ requirements. Trainers can also take single activities to drop
into other sessions, such as programme trainings.
The toolkit includes some sample session plans (see page 6) which show how you can
combine themes and activities to cover a range of training sessions, from a full weekend
to a smaller one-hour or taster session. These plans can be used as they are, or adapted
using activities and resources from this toolkit.
All trainings should have a strong message that will encourage members to think about
growth and how they can participate. Remember to think about the main message you
want to get across when planning your training session.
Introduction
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 5
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 5
Introduction
Being our best
Girlguiding’s Plan for 2020
Our commitment
By 2020, we will empower more girls to find their voice and be their best
through high-quality, girl-led programmes delivered by inspirational Leaders.
Our vision
An equal world where all girls can make a positive difference, be happy,
safe and fulfil their potential.
Our mission
Through fun, friendship, challenge and adventure we empower girls to find their
voice, inspiring them to discover the best in themselves and to make a positive
difference in their community.
Our plan for 2020 is a commitment from everyone in Girlguiding to get even
better at all that we do.
EXCELLENCE
ACCESS
VOICE
CAPACITY
Together, focusing on these four key themes, we will deliver a bright future to all
girls and young women in guiding – and those we hope will be joining us.
3
How does this this toolkit help us to be our best?
ACCESS
• We will work together to ensure that more girls from all backgrounds benefit
from what we do.
EXCELLENCE
• We will get better and better at all that we do for girls.
This toolkit enables Trainers to put together sessions that will inspire our adult
members to undertake activities to increase growth.
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 6
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 6
Sample session plans
Membership Growth weekend
Aim: To support Counties in creating and/or developing their membership growth plans.
Objective: During the weekend, County teams will:
1. Improve their understanding of mapping and identify areas of growth.
2. Investigate the main themes of membership growth.
3. Explore some of the specific challenges and identify and consider tactics for tackling these.
4. Develop practical skills to support the implementation of their plans.
5. Explore methods to promote Girlguiding.
1
Time
Activity
Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
Friday
7–8.30pm Evening meal
8.45–9.45pm
Opening session: Introductions
4
•
Introducing overall themes of the
weekend.
•
Light-hearted activities, allowing the
group to mingle and get to know each
other.
Activity 1t.
Community calendars
(30 mins)
Activity
•
Blank calendars
•
Craft materials
•
Guiding pictures
Activity 1n.
Inspirational image (30 mins)
Activity
•Inspiration images
•
A4 card
•
Glue
•
Ruler
•
Scissors
Saturday
8.15–9am
Buffet breakfast
Membership Growth weekend is continued overleaf
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 7
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 7
2
9.30–11am
Strategic mapping and targeted growth
1
• Supporting members to map their local
area so they can identify areas of
growth and analyse needs.
•
Learning techniques to map the area
for growth.
Activity 2d.
Ten questions to help you plan
(20 mins)
Small group
working
•Question sheets
•
Pens
Activity 2b.
Designing your aims (30 mins)
Small group
working
•Flipchart paper
•
Handout
•Pens
Activity 2f.
Strategic mapping without the
internet (40 mins)
Small group
working
•Maps
•Research materials
•
Coloured stickers
•Pens
11–11.30am
Coffee
11.30am–
12.25pm
Recruiting adults
2/3/4
•
Providing members with ideas and
methods for recruiting more adult
volunteers into Girlguiding.
•
Understanding how to promote
Girlguiding to different audiences.
•
Understanding the needs of
volunteers.
•
Understanding what motivates
volunteers.
•
Learning to plan promotion using
different platforms.
•
Exploring ways to recruit within
guiding.
Activity 4.1b.
Potential recruits (25 mins)
Discussion
and small
group
working
•Handout
•
Pens
•
Flipchart paper
•Sticky tack
Activity 4.1c.
Using role descriptions
(20 mins)
Small group
working
•Role descriptions
•
Flipchart paper
•
Pens
•Handout
Activity 7a.
Sticky note challenge (10 mins)
Small group
working
•Sticky notes
•
Pens
12.25–2.30pm
Lunch
Membership Growth weekend (continued)
Sample session plans
Membership Growth weekend is continued overleaf
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 8
3
2.30–4.10pm
Recruiting girls
2/3/4
•
Providing members with ideas and
methods for recruiting more girls into
Girlguiding.
•
Investigating ways to encourage girls
into guiding.
•
Promoting good quality guiding
programmes.
•Looking at good practice in transitions.
•Exploring the reasons that young women
and girls leave guiding.
Activity 4.2b.
How do we recruit..? (25 mins)
Small group
working
•Flipchart paper
•Pens
Activity 7j.
Unit health check (15 mins)
Small group
working
•Handout
•
Coloured sticky
dots
Activity 7k.
Best practice transition
(30 mins)
Small group
working
activity and
discussion
•Paper
•
Pens
Activity 7f.
Exiting guiding (30 mins)
Small group
discussion
and feedback
•Pens
•
Flipchart paper
4.10–4.30pm
Tea
4.30–6pm
Talking about guiding externally
5
•
Exploring Girlguiding’s PR materials.
•Looking at our key messages and being a
brand ambassador.
•Looking at why promotion of Girlguiding
is key to growth.
•
Exploring ways of talking about guiding
to external audiences.
•
Discussing the use of digital media.
NOTE: presentation on key messages is
available from Girlguiding's PR team, or
you could use the Membership Growth
PowerPoint
Presentation on key messages
and PR materials (10 mins)
Group
presentation
•PowerPoint
presentation
Activity 3a.
What’s in it for me? (10 mins)
Group
discussion
•Flipchart paper
•Pens
Activity 3c.
Quick sell! (30 mins)
Small group
working
•Household products
Activity 3d.
Promoting guiding everywhere
(30 mins)
Small group
working
activity
•Flipchart paper
•
Pens
•paper
Activity 3h.
Try tweeting (10 mins)
Small group
working
•Paper
•pens
Membership Growth weekend (continued)
Sample session plans
Membership Growth weekend is continued overleaf
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 9
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 9
4
7–8pm
Evening meal
Sunday
9–9.45am
Buffet breakfast
10–11.30am
Retention
2/3/4
•
Sustaining long-term growth and
supporting retention.
•
Exploring why volunteers leave guiding.
•
Discussing good practice thanks and
recognition techniques.
•
Exploring flexible guiding solutions.
•
Exploring who can do which roles in
guiding.
Activity 7n.
Events in time (20 mins)
Small group
working
•Flipchart paper
•Pens
Activity 7q.
Recognition match-up
(30 mins)
Large group
working
•Handout
•
Pens
Activity 6d.
Flexible guiding group
discussion (30 mins)
Small group
discussions
•Flipchart paper
•
Pens
Activity 6f.
Role jigsaw (10 mins)
Small group
working
•Handout
11.30am–12pm
Coffee
12–12.30pm
Action plan session
Small group
or individual
working
Action plan sheets
•Bringing all the learning together.
•Action plan sheets to cover: who, what,
why, when.!
12.30-1.30pm
Closing session
Group
discussion
Thanks cards
•Recap on all messages.
•
Thanks to all participants.
•
Question and answer session.!
Finish
Membership Growth weekend (continued)
Sample session plans
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 10
Retaining our membership (90mins)
Aim: To provide members with the skills to help retain girls and volunteers.
Objective: During the session the participants will:
1. Explore methods to retain girls and volunteers.
2. Be aware of ways to support transition and growth.
3. Understand and identify ways to recognise volunteers’ achievements.
Time
Activity
Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5 mins
Introductions and housekeeping
5 mins
Icebreaker: Activity 1d.
‘I am a Leader because…’
Large group
working
To remind us why we are in guiding.
20 mins
Activity 7i.
How do we retain..?
Small group
working
•
Flipchart paper
•
Pens
1/2
25 mins
Activity 7k.
Best practice transitions
Small group
working
•
Pens
•
Paper
2
Transition is the movement of girls
between sections.
15 mins
Activity 7j.
Unit health check
Small group
working
•Coloured sticky dots
•
Handout
1/2
Girls vote with their feet: a quality
programme is key to retention.
15 mins
Activity 7p.
Formal vs informal recognition
Large group
discussion
•
Flipchart paper
•
Pens
•Sticky notes
3
Thanking volunteers is really important
and helps them feel valued.
5 mins
Evaluation and close
Sample session plans
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 11
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 11
Adult membership growth and the Commissioner’s role in welcoming new volunteers (2 hours)
Aim: To help Commissioners understand their role when growing the membership.
Objective: During the session the participants will:
1. Look at the Commissioner’s role when welcoming new volunteers.
2. Discuss the benefits of mapping areas.
3. Look at various aspects of membership growth.
4. Develop an action plan for membership growth.
1
Time
Activity
Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5 mins
Introductions and housekeeping
5 mins
Icebreaker: Activity 1p.
Pairs
Group
discussion
10 mins
PowerPoint on Membership
Growth
Presentation
to whole
group
•
PowerPoint
1
Use the basic PowerPoint found on the
Girlguiding website
. Add that the
Commissioner’s role includes:
•
welcoming and inducting new Leaders
•
ensuring good succession planning
•
promoting good transitions between sections
•recognising and responding to any membership
growth needs
•ensuring contacts on Join Us are responded to
•
promoting guiding locally.
30 mins
Planning and mapping:
Activity 2b.
Designing your aims
Small group
working
•
Flip chart
•
Pens
•
Handout
2
Include the aims in the action plan at the end of
the session.
Adult membership growth and the Commissioner’s role in welcoming new volunteers is continued overleaf
Sample session plans
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 12
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 12
2
Time
Activity
Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 mins
Welcome activity:
Activity 5.1b.
New volunteer’s journey
Small group
working
•
Handout
1/3
15 mins
Induction activity 5.1h.
Volunteer checklist
Activity as
individuals or
small group
•
Pens
•
Paper
•
Handout
1/3
Include the checklist items in the action plan at
the end of the session.
15 mins
Activity 4.1d.
Planning a recruitment event
Small group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•Recruitment
materials
3
Highlight the recruitment resources available.
Have copies of posters /postcards etc to be
distributed.
20 mins
Action plan
Coaching
•
Copies of
Appendix D
4
5 mins
Evaluation and close
Adult membership growth and the Commissioner’s role in welcoming new volunteers (2 hours) (continued)
Sample session plans
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 13
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 13
Giving a warm welcome to new volunteers (60 mins)
Aim: To help participants think about how we welcome new volunteers.
Objective: During the session the participants will:
1. Know the membership growth key messages and resources.
2. Identify the actions needed to welcome and induct a volunteer, and who is responsible for carrying this out.
3. Identify gaps in current induction processes.
Time
Activity
Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5 mins
Introductions and housekeeping
5 mins
Icebreaker: Activity 1p.
Pairs
Group
discussion
10 mins
PowerPoint on Membership
Growth
Presentation to
whole group
•
PowerPoint
•
Recruitment
posters
1
Use basic PowerPoint.
•
Identify recruitment resources available.
•
Discuss key messages.
•
Cover the needs of a new volunteer and
what might motivate them to join guiding.
15 mins
Induction activity 5.1h.
Volunteer checklist
Activity as
individuals or
small group
•
Pens
•
Paper
•
Handout
2
20 mins
Activity 5.1g.
Problems and pitfalls
Small group
activity
•
Flipchart
•Pens
3
5 mins
Evaluation and close
Sample session plans
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 14
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 14
Help to recruit adult volunteers (2 hours, 15 minutes)
Aim: To provide participants with ideas and methods for recruiting more adult volunteers into Girlguiding.
Objective: During the session the participants will:
1. Understand the needs and motivation of volunteers.
2. Understand how to promote guiding to different audiences.
3. Identify ways to plan recruitment.
4. Explore ways to recruit within guiding.
5. Understand how to be more flexible and inclusive with recruiting volunteers.
Time
Activity
Training
method
Resources needed
Objective
number
Comments
5 mins
Introductions and housekeeping
10 mins
Icebreaker: Activity 1f
Card game
Small group
working
•
Pack of playing cards
20 mins
Activity 4.1a.
The guiding offer
Large group
working
•
Flipchart
• Pens
1
30 mins
Activity 3c.
Quick sell!
Small group
working
•
Selection of household objects
2
15 mins
Activity 4.1d.
Planning a recruitment event
Small group
working
•
Flipchart
• Pens
3
20 mins
Activity 4.1b
Potential recruits
Small group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Sticky tack
• Handout
4
30 mins
Activity 6e.
Open doors
Small group
working
•
Flipchart
• Pens
5
5 mins
Evaluation and close
Sample session plans
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 15
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 15
Making what we have go further, and including all (90 mins)
Aim: To introduce participants to ideas on flexible guiding and including new members from your community.
Objective: During the session the participants will:
1. Look at different methods of flexible guiding.
2. Consider ways to promote guiding in different areas.
3. Consider ways to engage with the community.
Time
Activity
Training
method
Resources needed
Objective
number
Comments
5 mins
Introductions and
housekeeping
10 mins
Icebreaker: Activity 1j.
Shields
Small group
working
•
Shield shapes
•
Pens
20 mins
Activity 6d.
Flexible guiding group
discussion
Group
discussion
•
Flipchart paper
•
Pens
1
30 mins
Activity 3d.
Promoting guiding everywhere
Small group
working
•
Flipchart sheets
•
Pens
•Paper
2
Use Appendix H to help facilitate
conversation.
20 mins
Activity 5.2g.
Identifying your community
Small group
working
•
Flipchart Paper
•
Pens
3
5 mins
Evaluation and close
Sample session plans
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 16
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 16
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
As you run through your training session, you may find that some activities take less time than
you had originally allocated. In times like this, a filler activity can be really valuable to get the group
talking with membership growth in mind.
It is also a good idea to plan some fillers and fun activities into the session plan as energisers, particularly if you
are holding a long training.
!
1a. Where do you come from?
Purpose: To demonstrate the commitment of each participant.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•Ask each participant to share the following facts with the
rest of the group.
- Where they have travelled from to get to the
training.
- The distance they travelled.
- What method of transport they used.
- How long the journey took.
-
Whether they would be prepared to travel further. If
so, how much further?
•
You can make this icebreaker more interesting by having
a map of the area available, and placing a sticker or
marker for each person’s journey.!
Large
group
working
•
Flipchart paper
•
Pens
Optional:
•
Map of the area
•
Stickers
Have the
questions written
out on flipchart
paper in advance.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 17
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 17
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5-10
minutes
•Ask each participant to share some information about the
shoes they are wearing. For example:
- What kind of shoes are they?
- What do they love about them?
- Where are they from?
- How long have they had them?
Large
group
working
1b. In my shoes
Purpose: To demonstrate that everyone is different.
1c. What does my area look like?
Purpose: To demonstrate that guiding attracts lots of different communities.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5-10
minutes
•
Display the pictures from Appendix A around the room.
Ask the participants to stand by the photo that most
closely represents the area in which they do their
guiding.
•Ask each participant to explain why they have chosen this
image.
Large
group
working
•
Appendix A
(page 115)
•Sticky tack/pins
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 18
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 18
1d. ‘I am a Leader because…’
Purpose: To remind us why we are in guiding.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Ask participants to walk around the room saying ‘I am a
[their guiding role] because…’ to one other person, using
only two or three words. Once a pair has shared their
comments with each other, they should each move on to
another person.
•
Allow up to five minutes for comments to be exchanged
before bringing the whole group back together.
Large
group
working
1e. Alliterative introductions
Purpose: To demonstrate that everyone in guiding is different.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Ask participants to spread out in a circle.
•
Invite the participants to introduce themselves using an
alliterative sentence based on the first letter of their
name, eg: ‘I’m romantic Rosemary. I like reading.’
Large
group
working
Optional:
•
Small ball
Depending on the
group, you may
wish to make the
activity physical
by asking
participants to
throw a ball to
someone across
the circle.
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 19
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 19
1f. Card game
Purpose: To identify the highs and lows of being a Girlguiding volunteer. This is also a good way to split people into groups if required.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Give a playing card to each participant upon arrival.
•
The participants must find someone with a card of a
different suit and talk about their best ever experience
as a Girlguiding volunteer.
•
Then, the participants must find someone with another
different suit and talk about their worst ever experience
as a Girlguiding volunteer.
•
Finally, the participants must find the people in the
room with the same suit as them and sit with them in a
group (if required).
Small
group
working
•
A pack of playing
cards
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 20
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 20
1g. Betty Bead
Purpose: This craft activity constructs a new member out of beads that represent the different roles in guiding, the Five Essentials, key
messages, diversity and the role Leaders have in membership growth. It is an activity that will get participants thinking about the bigger picture
of growth and give them a memento to take away.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
See the full instructions for this activity in Appendix B.
Individual
working
•
Appendix B
(page 116)
Per person:
•3 chenille sticks
•
27 pony beads
•
1 felt flower
•
1 wooden bead
!
1h. Recruitment bingo
Purpose: To see what experience in recruiting the group members have.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
•
Give each participant a bingo card from Appendix C and
ask them to find someone in the room who fulfils the
statement. The aim is to cross as many statements off
the list as possible.
•When five minutes is up, regroup and discuss. Did anyone
get a full house? If not, invite the participants to discuss
the reasons why.
Large
group
working
•
A copy of
Appendix C
(page 117) per
person
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 21
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 21
1i. Girls first
Purpose: To identify what activities the participants have tried to recruit girls.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
•
Ask the participants to form a line from one end of the
room to the other according to how true the following
statements are (one end = not true at all, other end =
completely true).
-
My unit meets at the same time and place as its main
feeder unit.
- The girls in my unit are evenly spread across the full
age range.
-
The Leaders of the main feeder units are all aware of
when and where my unit meets.
- My unit takes part in activities with other sections.
- I regularly promote my unit in local schools.
- I try to involve parents, for example with a parent
activities evening.
- I encourage girls in my unit to move up to the next
section.
- I have checked that the unit meeting doesn’t clash
with other activities, eg a dance class.
- I have made sure the contact details for my unit on
Join Us are up to date.
- I involve the girls in activities that promote guiding.
Large
group
working
This activity can
be adapted by
giving each
participant a
sheet of small
stickers and
putting the
statements up
around the room.
They could walk
around, read the
statements and
stick a sticker on
any statement
that’s true for
them. That would
give the group a
picture of how
many people have
tried the
different ideas
without pointing
the finger at any
individuals.
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 22
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 22
1j. Shields
Purpose: To get to know the group.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10-15
minutes
•
Split the participants into small groups of four or five.
•
Give each group a piece of flipchart paper with a blank
shield shape drawn on it. Ask them to draw something on
the shield that represents each of them as an individual,
and something in the centre that unites them as a group
(for example, they all have girls and guiding in common).
•
Once the groups have completed the drawing, ask each
group to explain a little bit about it.
Small
group
working
•
Shield shapes
•
Pens
1k. Pair and share
Purpose: To identify common challenges and share guiding aspirations.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Ask the participants to pair up and share the following.
- Their current challenges in retention.
- Where they would like to be in Girlguiding in five
years’ time.
•
After five minutes, ask the participants to swap partners
and share the same questions.
Small
group
working
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 23
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 23
1l. Chocolate beans!
Purpose: To put the participants at ease.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Split the participants into small groups and give each
group a bag of chocolate beans. Tell each person to
select five sweets of different colours from the bag. Once
everyone has their chocolate beans, explain that each
colour represents an aspect of their life.
For example: blue = work, pink = plans for the weekend,
red = guiding, yellow = hobbies, orange = childhood
ambitions, etc.
•
Each participant then introduces themselves to the rest
of the group with a fact for each chocolate bean they
have chosen.
Small
group
working
•
One bag of
chocolate beans
per group
Have the colours,
and what they
represent, on
display.
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 24
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 24
1m. Line up!
Purpose: To get the group working as a team.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Split the participants into two groups.
•
Instruct the groups to line up in a particular order, as
quickly as possible. When a group is lined up
appropriately, all group members should clap to indicate
they have completed the task. Here are some suggested
criteria by which they could line up.
-
The number of years they have been in Girlguiding.
- The number of new members they have met that
year.
- Shoe size.
- Number of siblings they have.
- Alphabetically by first name.
•
After each line-up, determine which group clapped first
and announce them as the winners of the round.
Small
group
working
!
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 25
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 25
1n. Inspirational image
Purpose: To make an inspirational memento that will remind participants of a future vision of guiding, and our aspirations and goals.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•Instruct participants to divide each picture vertically into
five equal strips. Cut the pictures into strips and keep
them in the right order.
•
Arrange the strips on the card, alternating strips from
picture 1 and picture 2, from one end of the card to the
other until the card is full. Stick them in place.
•Make folds in the card vertically along the strips, to form
a concertina.
•
When the concertina is stood upright it will create an
optical illusion, revealing a different picture depending
on what angle it is viewed from.!
Individual
working
•
Per person: Two
A5 pictures,
portrait
orientation. One
should represent
where we are in
guiding now, and
one should be
aspirational to
show where we
would like to be
•
Ruler
•
Pencil
•
Scissors
•
Glue
•
One piece of A4
card
You may need to
spend a little
time sourcing the
images.
!
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 26
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 26
1o. Question cards
Purpose: To generate conversation about why people volunteer.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•Hand out a card per participant. The cards should contain
a question such as:
- ‘What would you be doing now if you weren’t at this
training?’
- ‘What would you do if you won the lottery?’
or
- ‘What do your friends think about your involvement
in guiding?’
•Ask participants to introduce themselves and answer their
question.
Group
discussion
•
One pre-made
question card per
person
1p. Pairs
Purpose: To demonstrate what participants get from being part of Girlguiding.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Split the group into pairs.
•
Ask them to find out what brought their partner to
Girlguiding.
•Bring the group back together and ask each participant to
introduce her partner to the group.
Group
discussion
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit
27
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 27
1q. Thinking outside the box
Purpose: To get everyone thinking ‘outside the box’ and to refresh the participants between activities.
1r. Name introduction
Purpose: A reminder of the importance of a warm welcome.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5 minutes
Provide a sheet of paper with 12 rectangles on, equally
spaced. One sheet per participant. Now challenge them to
turn each rectangle into something else, eg flag, fridge,
book, table setting.
Group
discussion
•
Paper
• Pens
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5–10 minutes
(depending
on group
size)
•
Go around the group and get each participant to say their
name.
• Ask them to share something about the first person who
made them feel welcome at Girlguiding.
Group
discussion
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 27
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 27
1q. Thinking outside the box
Purpose: To get everyone thinking ‘outside the box’ and to refresh the participants between activities.
1r. Name introduction
Purpose: A reminder of the importance of a warm welcome.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5 minutes
Ask everyone to draw a rectangle on their sheet of paper.
Now challenge them to turn each rectangle into something
else, eg flag, fridge, book, table setting.
Group
discussion
•
Paper
•
Pens
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5–10 minutes
(depending
on group
size)
• Go around the group and get each participant to say their
name.
•
Ask them to share something about the first person who
made them feel welcome at Girlguiding.
Group
discussion
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 28
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 28
1s. Who am I?
Purpose: To get participants talking.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Divide the participants into groups of three or four.
•
Ask each member of the group to pick a famous person
and write their name on a sticky note. The name should
be kept secret.
•
Each person then takes their sticky note and attaches it
to another group member’s forehead.
•
Taking turns, everyone with a sticky note asks the group
questions to determine who they are. Questions should
have yes or no answers, such as the following.
- ‘Am I female?’
- ‘Am I alive?’
- ‘Am I a politician?’
•
Members can keep asking questions until they guess
correctly who they are. The winner is the person who can
guess their name with the fewest questions.
Small
group
working
•
Sticky notes
•
Pens
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 29
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 29
1t. Community calendars
Purpose: To generate awareness of guiding in the local community and introduce people to what’s going on.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Ask participants to form small groups.
•Challenge them to design a guiding calendar for the local
community, including pictures, events and other useful
information. Calendars could be wall planners, month-by-
month or even pocket-sized.
•
Note: Think about the audience who will see them. Are
the images inclusive?
Take it further: They may wish to produce a calendar to
distribute locally and promote through word of mouth,
media and other units. It is worth contacting local print
companies to ask for sponsorship. There could also be an
opportunity to raise funds by selling the calendars.
Small
group
working
•
Copies of a blank
calendar (or
participants can
create their own
on flipchart
paper)
•
Variety of craft
materials
•
Guiding pictures
Leaders can also
take this activity
back to the unit
to do with the
girls, including
drawings by the
girls of activities
they have done,
or to run as a
community-wide
competition.
Section 1
Icebreakers, fillers
and fun projects
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 30
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 30
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
2a.Strategic planning
Purpose: To identify recruitment requirements at their level.
Note: This works best as a Commissioner-level activity.
Knowing the local area, its growth and development, is key to understanding membership needs and
increasing guiding in the area. Strategic mapping is a way of highlighting the unique features of an area so
that members can focus on problems and solutions based on human demographics and geography, and plan
how to use them to grow guiding.
Having an overview of what your area needs and where means you are able to target your resources more
effectively. Showing members how to do this and what to consider is essential for long-term growth.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Split Commissioners into groups based on the local area,
and ask them to analyse the Join Us data they have
brought with them. Particular focus should be on:
- waiting to join numbers
- sizes of units
- transitions
- age of volunteers.
•
Then discuss:
- any concerns they have about their data
- the needs of their area
- how they might be able to address these needs.!
Large
group
working
•
Flipchart
paper
•
Pens
•
Join Us!
data –
please ask
participants
beforehand
to bring
their own!
Take it further:
Participants need to
discuss what resources
need to be allocated,
if any. For example,
do they need to
recruit more girls or
Leaders, or open new
units? They may find
that they have enough
volunteer enquiries to
meet the demand of
new girls coming
through the system.!
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 31
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 31
2b.Designing your aims
Purpose: Participants think about what they aim to achieve in the recruitment plan, by setting three achievable aims that they can take back to
their units/areas.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes +
20 minutes’
extension
•
Split participants into pairs or small groups and invite
them to reflect on their recruitment needs and to set
three aims that will address those needs.
•Point out to them that it may be helpful to split the aims
up in some way, for example a short-term aim (to
achieve within 12 months) or a long-term aim (to achieve
within two years). You can also ask participants to
consider different groups within the recruitment drive,
for example Leaders, the local community, young adults
etc.
•Once the participants have set their aims, they can move
on to creating an action plan – how they can achieve the
aims. There is a sample action plan in Appendix D that
can be photocopied for participants to use when building
up their recruitment plan. If you decide to do the action
plan in the session, you should allow an extra 20 minutes
for this.
Small
group
working
•
Flipchart
paper
•
Pens
•
Appendix D
(page 118)
!
Emphasise to
participants that the
aims should be simple
and achievable – things
that they can easily
put into practice.
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 32
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 32
2c.What tasks are there to do?
Purpose: A task-focused activity to help participants think about what they already do, and what they would like to do but don’t have time for.
Get participants to think about what they do, and identify the potential that they have not reached. Participants then need to learn how new and
existing volunteers can support them in existing work and reaching that potential.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Split the participants into small groups or pairs and give
them a sheet of flipchart paper. Ask them to draw a line
down the middle of the sheet. On one half they should
write all the tasks they do just to keep things running
smoothly.
•
Next, ask them to make a list on the other half of the
sheet of all the tasks and activities that they would like
to do to make guiding more interesting or exciting, if
only they had the time.
•
When they have finished writing both lists, ask
participants to consider the following questions:
- Do I have to do these tasks or can they be done by
someone else?
- Is there anyone in my area who has the skills to do
these?
- If there isn’t, do they have to be done by a Leader?
-
Do we need to find new volunteers to support the unit
further?
- Is there a need to use specific volunteers with
particular expertise?
- Does the person have to come to the unit every week?!
Small
group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens!
This activity can be
adapted to the roles
you are training. For
example, the tasks
Commissioners face
will differ from those a
Leader faces.
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit
33
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 33
2d.Ten questions to help you plan
Purpose: To provide participants with prompt points for planning future recruitment drives.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15-20
minutes
•
This sheet can either be completed by participants
during the session or be provided by the Trainer as a
handout for them to complete in their own time.
• Remember that there are mandatory steps in the
recruitment process, such as obtaining criminal record
disclosure checks, which participants will need to be
aware of when recruiting volunteers.
Your Guide to: recruitment campaigns has all the
information you need to recruit girls and volunteers, and is
available on the Girlguiding website.
Small
group
working
•
One copy of
Appendix E
(page 119)
per pair or
small group
• Pens
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 34
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 34
2e.Using an online mapping tool
Purpose: This online mapping exercise is a simple and effective way for participants to analyse the human geography of their area and start
thinking about how the needs of the area affect membership levels and waiting-to-join lists.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15-20
minutes
Creating the map
•
Open Google and search for ‘My Maps’.
•
Create a new map of your area.
• On the left-hand side go to ‘Import data’ and select one
of the spreadsheets that you have pre-prepared.
•
Once you have uploaded the data you will be able to
edit the format of the map to suit your needs. Play
around with the options on this function to get the map
to display with different colours either for age or for
section, whichever you prefer.
•
You can then add additional layers of data using the
‘add layer’ button (in the grey bar) and then upload the
spreadsheet as you did for the first set of data.
•
You can add as many layers as you want and can think
about the types of information you’d like to display.
You could even map the schools in the area, to enable
you to target your recruitment.
Note: The Google maps application is very powerful
and you can publish maps to websites etc. You must
ensure there is no personal data attached to your
map.
Small
group
working
•
Computer and
internet access
•
The following data in
separate
spreadsheets:
- Postcodes of
current units in
the area (use the
level meeting
summary report)
- The postcodes of
girls waiting to
join
- Postcodes of local
venue spaces
- Waiting-to-
join/membership
figures from the
last two/three
years
Doing this
activity could
form one
whole
training
session, as it
will take time
for
participants
to build up a
map of the
area and plot
the
information.
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
2e.Using an online mapping tool is continued overleaf
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 34
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 34
2e.Using an online mapping tool
Purpose: This online mapping exercise is a simple and effective way for participants to analyse the human geography of their area and start
thinking about how the needs of the area affect membership levels and waiting-to-join lists.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15-20
minutes
Creating the map!
•
Open Google and search for ‘My Maps’.
•
Create a new map of your area.
•On the left-hand side go to ‘Import data’ and select one
of the spreadsheets that you have pre-prepared.
•
Once you have uploaded the data you will be able to
edit the format of the map to suit your needs. Play
around with the options on this function to get the map
to display with different colours either for age or for
section, whichever you prefer.
•
You can then add additional layers of data using the
‘add layer’ button (in the grey bar) and then upload the
spreadsheet as you did for the first set of data.
•
You can add as many layers as you want and can think
about the types of information you’d like to display.
You could even map the schools in the area, to enable
you to target your recruitment.!
Note: The Google maps application is very powerful
and you can publish maps to websites etc. You must
ensure there is no personal data attached to your
map.
Small
group
working
•
Computer and
internet access
•
The following data in
separate
spreadsheets:!
- Postcodes of
current units in
the area (use the
level meeting
summary report)
- The postcodes of
girls waiting to
join
- Postcodes of local
venue spaces
- Waiting-to-
join/membership
figures from the
last two/three
years!
Doing this
activity could
form one
whole
training
session, as it
will take time
for
participants
to build up a
map of the
area and plot
the
information.
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
2e.Using an online mapping tool is continued overleaf
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 35
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 35
2e.Using an online mapping tool (continued)
Purpose: This online mapping exercise is a simple and effective way for participants to analyse the human geography of their area and start
thinking about how the needs of the area affect membership levels and waiting-to-join lists.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15-20
minutes
Using the map!
Once participants have created their map, ask them to
take a look at their area and think about the following
questions.
•
Did you know where all your units meet?
•
Did you know that girls are coming from these areas to
be part of your District/Division?
•Do you have lots of primary schools in the area to target
for new members?
•
Do all the girls who are waiting to join come from one
area where there is no unit?
•
What else can you see?
•
Where are more units needed?
•
Where are there too many units?
Take it further by identifying transport routes. For
example, which areas are served by accessible public
transport, and where do the bus routes go?!
Small
group
working
!
Doing this
activity could
form one
whole
training
session, as it
will take time
for
participants
to build up a
map of the
area and plot
the
information.
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 36
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 36
2f. Strategic mapping without the internet
Purpose: To show the technique of mapping when unable to access the internet.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30–60
minutes
depending on
area of focus
•
Using the map and coloured stickers, manually plot where
the units meet (get this data from Go! before the training).
•
Once participants have created their map, they can begin
building a picture of where guiding is in relation to the local
population. Many questions can be asked during the training,
such as these examples:
- Are there any new housing developments, or any being
planned in the future?
- What public transport is available and are there plans
for this to change?
- Are there any new schools, colleges or community
provisions such as youth clubs or activities?
- Are there areas with increasing populations?
- Where are the community centres?
- Which units do not have enough Leaders?
- Where are more units needed?
- Where are there too many units?
- Where are there girls waiting to join guiding?
•The map will show where the growth patterns are within the
area. This information can be the basis of further action
planning.
!
Small
group
working
•
Map of the local
area
•Coloured stickers
•
Pens
•
Information
about the local
area, such as
maps, lists of
organisations in
the area,
employment/
unemployment
figures,
population and
planning
developments!
Local
knowledge
can be an
invaluable
tool for
understanding
the needs of
an area and
spotting
opportunities.
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 37
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 37
2g. Tracking your membership
Purpose: To provide a method of tracking membership within the District or Division, and support succession planning for transitioning to the
next section. To populate the tracking spreadsheet, you will need to use the summary page of the Section Age Profile Go! report (page 2) and the
number of girls on the waiting-to-join list on Join Us.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Distribute a series of completed tracker overviews to the
groups.
•
Ask the group to identify any peaks and dips - where are
they?
•
Using the additional pages of the tracker, get them to
examine the number of girls due to leave Rainbows in the
next 12 months (aged 6 or 7) and compare this with those
due to leave Brownies in the next year (those aged 9 or 10+).
Ask the participants to consider the following questions:
- Are there going to be enough spaces in Brownies?
-
Why may a Brownie unit struggle if they are only able to
have 18 girls but a Rainbow unit will take 20?
ANSWER: Rainbows only lasts two years, so all 20 girls need
to move up within two years. Brownies is three years so the
unit will only have 18 spaces over three years, or 12 over the
two years. What happens to the other six girls who can’t
move up?
If you have computers available:
•
Load the tracker onto the computers for the participants.
•
Ask them to populate the spreadsheet using data from their
Section Age Profile.
If computers are unavailable, provide a printed version of the
tracker for each participant to work from.
Small
group
working
•Participants need
to bring along
their Section Age
Profile report –
they only need
page 2
•Several copies of
completed
trackers
(available from
Girlguiding
website.!
Ideally this activity
would take place in
a room of
computers!
The graphs
won’t start to
draw lines
until after
the second
month has
been
entered. But
over 12
months
participants
will get to
see where
their peaks
and troughs
are.
!!
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 38
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 38
2h. Opportunities and threats
Purpose: For participants to think about other organisations in their local area ‘competing’ for girls and volunteers, and consider how to work
with them. This works best if you identify the key group you are ‘competing’ for – girls or volunteers!
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes +
10 minutes
for feedback
•Split the participants into small groups or pairs and give each
group a ‘competition’ record sheet.
•
Ask them to work through the table, recording any
organisations that they consider to be competing with them.
For example, it could be an after-school sports club that
meets on the same day as the unit, or another charity that
uses the same meeting space.
•
Repeat the activity with the ‘complement’ record sheet.
This time, the participants must think of organisations that
complement guiding.
•
At the end of the session, ask the groups to share their
outcomes.
•
Encourage participants to take away actions that they could
use with another organisation.
Small
group
working
•Record sheets
from Appendices
F and G (pages
120 & 121) (one
of each per small
group or pair)
!!
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 39
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 39
2i. Introducing new residents to guiding
Purpose: To raise the profile of guiding by introducing people new in the area to the work of Girlguiding.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•Ask participants to work in small groups to design a leaflet or
poster aimed at newcomers to their local community. The
activity can be tailored to suit what’s currently happening in
their local area, for example a new housing development, a
new office block or school.
Small
group
working
•Flipchart paper
•
Pens
•
Variety of craft
materials
This activity
is one that
Leaders can
take back to
the unit to do
with the
girls. Girls
can design
their own
posters or
leaflets
aimed at
their age
group.
Feeding back on ‘Planning, mapping and identifying local needs’
As you complete any sessions about planning and mapping in accordance with an area’s requirements, you should
ask the participants to think about what they will take away from the workshop. Encourage them to consider how
they will implement planning at a local level and remind them that by knowing the spread of guiding in the area,
they can ensure that they give a warm welcome to potential members of all ages.
Section 2
Planning, mapping and
identifying local needs
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 40
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 40
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
It is important that potential volunteers can see the value of investing their time with us: there are so many
benefits of volunteering for Girlguiding, so let’s talk about them! Promoting Girlguiding is something we can
do at all times. Simply presenting a positive image of the charity, smiling and telling people what we do, can
encourage potential volunteers to get involved.
You can also plan targeted promotion of Girlguiding in advance, aligning your activity with local events or other
significant dates around you, to reach out to a new audience. For example, during Freshers’ Week, you could
plan a promotional campaign around getting students involved; or how about using National Volunteering Week to
promote the fantastic work that volunteers in guiding do? Linking in with existing events ensures you achieve
maximum impact from your promotion.
Encourage participants to involve the girls as much as possible in promotional activities and recruitment drives.
Girls may have some great ideas – have the participants ever asked them? Try to include recruitment activities in
the programme – it can be a fun challenge.
Top tip:
When running a session about promoting guiding, make sure you have access to examples or photos of
potential promotion methods to support any planning which is taking place. Having prompts such as newspapers,
blogs, recruitment stalls, radio and social media can really help volunteers to think outside the box, and also
gives them a chance to source and feature good case studies.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 41
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 41
3a. What’s in it for me?
Purpose: To effectively explain why people should volunteer for Girlguiding.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
Ask the group to consider the benefits of volunteering for
Girlguiding and write their suggestions on a flipchart.
Suggestions could include things like:
• developing skills in leadership and teamwork
• gaining experience of working with children and young
people
• making friends
• getting involved in fun activities and events
• gaining qualifications and training.
Large
group
working
•
Flipchart paper
•
Pens
To extend the
discussion, you
could invite the
participants to
share the most
important thing
they have gained
from guiding.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit
42
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 42
3b.Trading skills
Purpose: To show participants that they don’t know what people can offer unless they ask.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
• Ask each participant to list three skills they have that
they would be willing to ‘trade’ with other units, for
example sign language, numeracy skills, calligraphy,
yoga etc.
• Once they have finished their lists, ask them to
'advertise' their skills by displaying them on the wall (or
laying them out on tables).
• Give each participant a set of stickers and invite them to
look at the advertisements, placing a sticker next to the
skills they would like to have in their unit or area.
• Spend a few minutes discussing the kinds of skills the
participants have offered and what skills are most in
demand.
Individual
working
• Pens and one
sheet of paper per
participant
• Sticky tack
• Coloured stickers
Top Tip! Remind
participants that
we can ask
parents and
supporters to
offer skills.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 47
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 47
3g. Communication plan
Purpose: To create a plan to support promotion of guiding throughout the year.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
for activity +
10 minutes
for discussion
•
Divide participants into small groups. If possible they
should work with members from the same unit, District,
Division or County.
•
Ask participants to create a list of all communication
avenues available, using the template in Appendix J and
adding or deleting from the template as appropriate.
•
Ask them to populate their communication plan month
by month. They should consider each communication
platform available to them, and map out what could be
appropriately promoted during this time.
For example, they could aim to get a feature in their
local newspaper, in March, of a unit participating in an
activity related to International Women’s Day. If a unit
has any camps or international travel coming up, not
only would it be great to promote amazing opportunities
in the press, but participants could also plan in social
media and create a blogging series while they are away!
•
By the end of the session, participants should all have a
12-month communication plan.
Small
group
working
• Flipchart paper
•
Pens
• Copy of Appendix
J (page 124) for
each small group
This can also be
adapted for
one-off special
events as well
as unit/District
work.
Don’t forget
that newspapers
are online as
well as printed.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit
43
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 43
3c. Quick sell!
Purpose: Participants think fast and practise their selling skills! Participants learn to pitch the benefits of Girlguiding to various audiences.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
• Hand each participant a product and explain that they
have to ‘sell’ it to the rest of the group in no more than
30 seconds.
• Ask them to feed back how it felt – do they think it
would have been easier if there had been time to
practise?
• Explain that we are often called upon to ‘sell’ guiding at
very short notice and in a short space of time, so it’s
important to have these thoughts in mind in order to be
able to get the key benefits across.
• In pairs, invite them to come up with a
30-second pitch about Girlguiding to sell to one of the
following audiences:
- a parent
- a potential volunteer
- girls and young women
- a local councillor.
• Bring the group back together and listen to each other’s
pitch.
Large
group
working/
Small
group
working
A selection of
common
household
products (one
object per
participant),
eg:
• toothpaste
• cup
• highlighter
• pen
• balloon
• whisk
• socks.
Remind the
participants
about the key
messages for
Girlguiding
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 47
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 47
3g. Communication plan
Purpose: To create a plan to support promotion of guiding throughout the year.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
for activity +
10 minutes
for discussion
•
Divide participants into small groups. If possible they
should work with members from the same unit, District,
Division or County.
•
Ask participants to create a list of all communication
avenues available, using the template in Appendix J and
adding or deleting from the template as appropriate.
•
Ask them to populate their communication plan month
by month. They should consider each communication
platform available to them, and map out what could be
appropriately promoted during this time.
For example, they could aim to get a feature in their
local newspaper, in March, of a unit participating in an
activity related to International Women’s Day. If a unit
has any camps or international travel coming up, not
only would it be great to promote amazing opportunities
in the press, but participants could also plan in social
media and create a blogging series while they are away!
•
By the end of the session, participants should all have a
12-month communication plan.
Small
group
working
• Flipchart paper
•
Pens
• Copy of Appendix
J (page 124) for
each small group
This can also be
adapted for
one-off special
events as well
as unit/District
work.
Don’t forget
that newspapers
are online as
well as printed.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 44
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 44
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
for activity
+ 15 minutes
for feedback
and
discussion
• Divide participants into six groups or pairs and give each
group a flipchart sheet.
•
Invite them to spend 15 minutes idea storming methods
of promoting guiding in these places, while considering
the following questions:
- What resources could they use?
- What activities will be involved?
- How can the girls help?
•
Regroup and ask participants to discuss their ideas.
These are some useful points of discussion.
•
Does anyone have experience of promoting guiding in
those places?
•
If so, what were the challenges? What worked well?
Large
group
working/
Small
group
working
•
Six pre-labelled
flipchart sheets:
- ‘In the
workplace’
- ‘In the home’
- ‘In schools’
- ‘In public
places’ (for
example,
libraries or
leisure centres)
- ‘In new areas’
(for example,
new housing
estates)
and
- ‘In outdoor
spaces’
•
Pens
•
Paper
See Appendix H
(page 122) for
help if groups
get stuck
3d. Promoting guiding everywhere
Purpose: To invite participants to think about ways of promoting guiding in different places.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 45
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 45
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
for activity +
10 minutes
for discussion
•
Divide participants into small groups and provide them
with flipchart paper, pens and copies of Appendix I (page
123).
•
Invite them to read the (real-life) statements from
Appendix I and spend 10 minutes considering how they
would respond to them positively.
•
At the end of the activity, facilitate a 10-minute
discussion, using the following prompts.
•
What positive responses have they come up with?
•
Have they come across similar comments themselves?
• If so, how did they deal with them?
Large
group
working
• Flipchart paper
•
Pens
•
Statements from
Appendix I (page
123) on a
flipchart or
projector
You may wish to
display the
statements on a
piece of
flipchart paper,
or project them
on to a screen.
3e. Negatives and positives
Purpose: To practise handling misconceptions, and turning negative comments into positives.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 46
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 46
3f. Social media campaign
Purpose: To understand how to use social media more effectively.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
for activity +
10 minutes
for discussion
•
Divide participants into pairs or small groups.
•
Ask participants to plan how they would promote the
following things using social media:
- raising funds for a unit trip
- new Leaders needed for two units
- a piece of social action delivered by your unit
members
- a drop-in evening for new volunteers
- District Commissioner needed
- a recruitment drive at a supermarket.
•
Ask them to think about which online forums they could
use, any hashtags they would use, which social media
accounts they would message from, and if there are
other social media accounts they could link to. For
example, if they were holding a recruitment stall at a
supermarket, they might like to 'tweet' the store with
the image of a poster:
'We'll be at [location name] @[supermarket name] on
Sunday – pop by and find out about @Girlguiding!
#GirlsCan'
Small
group
working
• Flipchart paper
•
Pens
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 47
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 47
3g. Communication plan
Purpose: To create a plan to support promotion of guiding throughout the year.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
for activity +
10 minutes
for discussion
•
Divide participants into small groups. If possible they
should work with members from the same unit, District,
Division or County.
•
Ask participants to create a list of all communication
avenues available, using the template in Appendix J and
adding or deleting from the template as appropriate.
•
Ask them to populate their communication plan month
by month. They should consider each communication
platform available to them, and map out what could be
appropriately promoted during this time.
For example, they could aim to get a feature in their
local newspaper, in March, of a unit participating in an
activity related to International Women’s Day. If a unit
has any camps or international travel coming up, not
only would it be great to promote amazing opportunities
in the press, but participants could also plan in social
media and create a blogging series while they are away!
•
By the end of the session, participants should all have a
12-month communication plan.
Small
group
working
• Flipchart paper
•
Pens
• Copy of Appendix
J (page 124) for
each small group
This can also be
adapted for
one-off special
events as well
as unit/District
work.
Don’t forget
that newspapers
are online as
well as printed.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 48
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 48
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Divide participants into pairs or small groups.
•
Ask them to write a tweet about one of the following:
- a residential event
- a unit Promise Celebration
- a County Day
- an evening unit meeting.
•
Remember: A tweet can be no longer than
140 characters, including any hashtags or @handles.
Small
group
working
• Paper
•
Pens
If participants don’t
know how to use
Twitter, direct them
to Girlguiding’s
guide on Promotion
using social media:
Home > Making
guiding happen >
Growing our
membership >
Promoting guiding >
Promoting guiding
online > Promotion
using social media
3h. Try tweeting
Purpose: To understand how to use Twitter to promote Guiding.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit
49
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 49
Feeding back on ‘Promoting Girlguiding’
Promotion of guiding is a key element of recruiting girls and adults; as you finish a session about active
promotion, ensure that the participants know how they are going to take the ideas forward. You should ask the
participants to think about what they will be able to implement to support publicity after the workshop, and how
it would be relevant to their local area. Remind them that they should promote the positives of volunteering
wherever possible, as more volunteers bring benefits to both girls and adults.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 47
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 47
3g. Communication plan
Purpose: To create a plan to support promotion of guiding throughout the year.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
for activity +
10 minutes
for discussion
•
Divide participants into small groups. If possible they
should work with members from the same unit, District,
Division or County.
•
Ask participants to create a list of all communication
avenues available, using the template in Appendix J and
adding or deleting from the template as appropriate.
•
Ask them to populate their communication plan month
by month. They should consider each communication
platform available to them, and map out what could be
appropriately promoted during this time.
For example, they could aim to get a feature in their
local newspaper, in March, of a unit participating in an
activity related to International Women’s Day. If a unit
has any camps or international travel coming up, not
only would it be great to promote amazing opportunities
in the press, but participants could also plan in social
media and create a blogging series while they are away!
•
By the end of the session, participants should all have a
12-month communication plan.
Small
group
working
• Flipchart paper
•
Pens
• Copy of Appendix
J (page 124) for
each small group
This can also be
adapted for
one-off special
events as well
as unit/District
work.
Don’t forget
that newspapers
are online as
well as printed.
Section 3
Promoting Girlguiding
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 50
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 50
Section 4.1
Recruitment:
Adult volunteers
Recruiting enough adult volunteers to deliver quality guiding for girls can be a challenge. We need
volunteers in order to grow, but how can we create an effective recruitment plan? How can we encourage
volunteers to choose Girlguiding over other charities? And what can girls and Leaders do at a local level to
promote guiding and show others what an amazing experience it can be?
What is volunteering?
Volunteer England defines volunteering as ‘any activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that
aims to benefit the environment or someone (individuals or groups) other than, or in addition to, close relatives’.
Central to this definition is the fact that volunteering must be a choice freely made by each individual. This can
include formal activity undertaken through public, private and/or voluntary organisations as well as informal
community participation.
Why we recruit volunteers and their role in guiding
Volunteers are at the frontline in the delivery of what we offer our members. Without their contribution, the
charity would not exist. Volunteers are at the core of everything we do, whatever their role, be it Commissioner
or badge tester!
Why do people volunteer?
To engage with volunteers, you first need to understand more about them, their motivation to volunteer, and the
impact they want to make. In 2013 the research consultancy nfpSynergy asked 1,000 adults a series of questions
to find out more about volunteer engagement. One question was: ‘If you decided to take on a volunteer role,
which of the following factors would most influence your choice of charity?’
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 51
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 51
Section 4.1
Recruitment:
Adult volunteers
1
The graph shows us that
the top three factors that
attract someone to an
organisation are: that a
charity’s values match
those of the volunteer;
that the charity makes a
difference in the local
community; and that its
values are clear.
Volunteers are more
willing to give time to an
organisation that meets
their value standards, as
well as ensuring their
community is served.
Although building skills
and experience and
making the whole process
of volunteering more
2
accessible are important, these are not the main factors attracting people to volunteer.
Volunteers want to know what you stand for and if you are actually making a difference, so this is what you need
to communicate when recruiting. It should be followed through to the welcome and induction stage, so that new
volunteers are reassured that this need has been or will be met.
Girlguiding’s values are: Caring, Challenging, Empowering, Fun, Inclusive and Inspiring.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 52
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 52
Section 4.1
Recruitment:
Adult volunteers
4.1a. The guiding offer
Purpose: To recognise what Girlguiding offers to volunteers and what they gain from it.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
Ask participants to look at the values of Girlguiding and
discuss how to present the values to these people.
•
Maria: A single mother of two children, who works part
time and is looking for new experience.
•
Adam: A university graduate who works as a project
manager and is looking to make friends and expand his
network.
•
LaShay: A woman in her late 40s who runs her own
successful business.
•
Sophia: An 18-year-old who is unemployed, looking at
gap-year options and seeking a challenge.
Group
discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
You could write
Girlguiding’s
values on a
piece of
flipchart paper
and display
them where the
group can see
them.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit
53
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 53
Section 4.1
Recruitment:
Adult volunteers
4.1b. Potential recruits
Purpose: To consider what roles people could do in guiding and how different people could be recruited.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5 minutes
for idea
storming +
20 minutes
for activity
• Split participants into small groups or pairs and give each
group a sheet of flipchart paper.
• Invite each group to write down all the possible roles a
volunteer can have in guiding.
• When they have finished, stick the flipchart sheets up so
that everyone can see.
• Next, give each group a card from Appendix K and allow
them a few moments to read the person description and
questions.
• Invite each group to match up their potential recruit to a
guiding role by discussing what role would best suit their
recruit and answering the questions on the cards.
• At the end of the session, invite the groups to share their
scenarios and the answers they came up with.
Remember: It is essential to be sympathetic to a new
volunteer’s needs, rather than pushing them into roles that
don’t suit them but will benefit the area! Not everyone will
want to work within a unit.
Small
group
working
•
Flipchart
• Pens
• Sticky tack
• Appendix K
(page 125)
You could
share the role
descriptions
available on
the Girlguiding
website to
highlight the
breadth of
roles available.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 53
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 53
Section 4.1
Recruitment:
Adult volunteers
4.1b. Potential recruits
Purpose: To consider what roles people could do in guiding and how different people could be recruited.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5 minutes
for idea
storming +
20 minutes
for activity
•
Split participants into small groups or pairs and give each
group a sheet of flipchart paper.
•
Invite each group to write down all the possible roles a
volunteer can have in guiding.
•
When they have finished, stick the flipchart sheets up so
that everyone can see.
•
Next, give each group a card from Appendix K and allow
them a few moments to read the person description and
questions.
•
Invite each group to match up their potential recruit to a
guiding role by discussing what role would best suit their
recruit and answering the questions on the cards.
•
At the end of the session, invite the groups to share their
scenarios and the answers they came up with.
Remember: It is essential to be sympathetic to a new
volunteer’s needs, rather than pushing them into roles that
don’t suit them but will benefit the area! Not everyone will
want to work within a unit.
Small
group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Sticky tack
•
Appendix K
(page 126)
You could write
Girlguiding’s
values on a
piece of
flipchart paper
and display
them where the
group can see
them.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 54
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 54
Section 4.1
Recruitment:
Adult volunteers
4.1c. Using role descriptions
Purpose: To help participants understand the skills and experience needed for a role and how best to go about recruiting for that role.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Split participants into pairs or small groups and ask them
to read the role description given to them.
•
Participants need to think about the kind of person that
they need for this role, taking into consideration the
skills, experience and time commitment needed for this
role and any specialist training required. Participants
need to create the persona of an ideal candidate. An
example of a persona can be found in Appendix L.
•
Looking at the persona created, how would they recruit
that person? Where would they advertise and what
methods would they use?
•
Regroup and ask each group to share their role
description, persona and recruitment plan.
Small
group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Examples of role
descriptions from
the Girlguiding
website
https://www.girlg
uiding.org.uk/mak
ing-guiding-
happen/volunteer-
roles-in-guiding/
•
Appendix L
(page 127)
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 55
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 55
Section 4.1
Recruitment:
Adult volunteers
4.1d. Planning a recruitment event
Purpose: Participants identify what is involved in a pre-planned recruitment event.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Split participants into pairs or small groups.
•
Using one of the scenarios below, ask them to plan an
event based on the following questions:
- Why?
- When?
- How?
- Where?
- Who?
•
These are the following scenarios around recruitment
that the participants can pick from and need to discuss.
- A presentation about Girlguiding at a university
induction.
- Organising a coffee morning with existing parents.
- A recruitment stand at an outdoors shop.
- Attending a corporate networking lunch.
•
Then bring the group back together and spend five
minutes discussing their answers.
Small
group
working
• Flipchart paper
•
Pens
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 56
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 56
Section 4.2
Recruitment:
Young members
It is really important to involve the girls as much as possible in recruiting new members, because they speak
the same language as their peers. A seven-year-old Brownie can explain what’s great about being a Brownie
to another seven-year-old using language they both understand, and she will prioritise what’s great about
guiding from a seven-year-old’s perspective.
However, a parent will probably want to hear about the skills and values their daughter will gain through guiding,
as well as the fun and adventure. For example, they might want to hear that the Brownie Adventure is a
balanced programme that develops leadership and team-working skills. It’s all about communicating the right
message to the listener.
As a Trainer you may feel it is appropriate to discuss the programmes available in the session to encourage
participants to think about what they tell prospective girls/parents and to refresh their knowledge about what
guiding has to offer girls of different ages.
Here’s a quick summary…
Rainbows (age 5–7)
Rainbows follow a programme called the Rainbow Jigsaw which is made up of four areas:
• Look
• Learn
• Laugh
• Love
Rainbows do a wide range of activities and games. Being a Rainbow is all about learning, developing
self-confidence, building friendships and having lots of fun.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 57
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 57
Section 4.2
Recruitment:
Young members
Brownies (age 7–10)
Brownies follow a programme called the Brownie Adventure which is made up of three areas:
• You
• Community
• World
Brownies can participate in a wide range of activities at meetings, special events, day trips, sleepovers, camps
and holidays. Girls can also extend their knowledge and abilities by working towards Brownie interest badges.
Guides (age 10–14)
Guides do everything from adventure to sports and playing fun games. The Guide programme is divided into five
areas:
• discovery of new experiences and challenges
• healthy lifestyles
• global awareness
• skills and relationships
• celebrating diversity.
With the support of an adult Leader, Guides choose and run some of the activities using Go for it! resource
packs. Girls can also extend their knowledge and skills by working towards Guide interest badges and Challenge
badges.
The Senior Section (age 14–25)
The Senior Section offers an exciting and flexible programme called Look Wider which has a huge variety of
challenges and opportunities for personal development – sure to impress universities and potential employers!
Members can undertake a wide range of awards and qualifications and take part in international opportunities.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 58
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 58
1
4.2a. How well do you know your girls?
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Put the magazines on one table, the objects on
another and the dreams/ ambitions on another.
•
Split participants into small groups and ask them
to visit each table in turn.
• Participants must guess the age ranges they think
the items would appeal to.
•
They should write their answers on the sticky
notes and stick them to the items.
• When every group has visited a table, the Trainer
can share with the group the actual age of the
girls. Were the participants right/wrong? Are
there any surprises?
Small group
working
•
Selection of
magazines and
items that appeal
to different age
groups, eg mobile
phone, toys,
make-up, books
•
Printed
ambitions/
dreams of girls
(see Comments)
•
Pens
•
Sticky notes
This activity involves
some research
beforehand. Ask girls
from different
sections:
•
what magazines
they enjoy reading
•
what media they
like to use, for
example mobile
phones, DVDs,
games, social
networks
•
what clothes they
like to wear
• what foods they like
to eat
•
what their dreams
and ambitions are.
2
Purpose: To ensure volunteers know how best to appeal to their section age.
Section 4.2
Recruitment:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 59
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 59
4.2b.How do we recruit…?
Purpose: To consider what might appeal to girls at different ages to encourage them to join guiding.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes +
10 minutes
for feedback
•
Divide participants into four groups. Give each
group a piece of flipchart paper and pens, and
ask them to draw a girl aged, 7, 8, 9, or 10.
Each group should choose a different age.
• The group should name her and identify how they
might recruit her.
•
Bring the whole group back together and invite
them to feed back their ideas, discuss which
ideas they are already putting into practice and
which ideas they can take forward as action
points.
Small group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
Section 4.2
Recruitment:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 60
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 60
4.2c. One-minute discussion
Purpose: To help participants explore how they can increase their units one girl at a time.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Divide the group into pairs and give each one a
scenario from Appendix M.The pair have one
minute to discuss the issue.
•
When the minute is up, the pair record the main
point of their discussion on the note and stick it
to the wall.
•
Bring the group back together and facilitate a
discussion about the comments written on the
notes.
•
Challenge each member of the group to choose
an action point to take away and use, to grow
the number of girls in their unit by one.!!
Small group
working
•
List of
scenarios from
Appendix M
(page 128)
•
Sticky notes
•
Pens
•
Stopwatch
Section 4.2
Recruitment:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 61
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 61
4.2d. Where to stick it
Participants consider effective ways to use Girlguiding’s recruitment resources.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes +
5 minutes
for feedback
•
Split the participants into small groups or pairs
and give each group a different recruitment
resource.
•
Invite them to think about the most effective
ways of using that resource to support
recruitment.
•
Then ask the groups in turn for their feedback
(one answer per group), coming back to each
group for further answers as time allows.
Small group
working
A variety of
different
recruitment
materials such as
posters, stickers,
postcards (see
the ‘Recruitment
resources’
section on page
114).
Section 4.2
Recruitment:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 62
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 62
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes +
10 minutes
for
discussion
•
Put the Scrabble letters in a bag and pass the bag to the
first participant.
• Invite them to draw a letter from the bag and reveal it to
the group.
•
When the letter is revealed, the whole group has 30
seconds to call out as many ways to recruit girls, starting
with the letter, as they can. Write up the answers on a
flipchart.
•
After 30 seconds, the bag is then passed to the next
participant and the process is repeated.
•
Continue until the bag is empty and you have created an
A–Z of recruitment.
•
At the end, facilitate a 10-minute discussion – how many
of the methods have the group tried?
Large
group
activity
•
A–Z of Scrabble
tiles
•
Stopwatch
• Flipchart paper
•
Pens
Take it further:
You can award
points to
participants for
each suggestion
they give (and
deduct points
for saying
something which
has already
been said) to
add a
competitive
edge to the
game!
!
4.2e. A–Z of recruitment
Purpose: To demonstrate how quickly the group can think of ways to recruit girls.
Section 4.2
Recruitment:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 63
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 63
Starting a new unit
Starting a new unit is a subject that may come up during the session, as participants consider the practicalities of
recruiting more girls.
When starting any new unit it is important for the local Commissioner to be consulted, as she is responsible for
managing guiding in the area. However, there are a few questions that participants could answer to establish
whether there is a need for a new unit in their area.
Facilitate a discussion around the following questions. The length of the discussion may depend upon how big the
group is and whether they answer ‘yes’ to any of the questions.
• What guiding already exists in the area? Do the units have any capacity to take more girls?
• Are there any new housing developments, or ones planned in the future?
• What public transport is available and are there plans for this to change?
The
Starting a New Unit webpage includes some helpful information about the steps and processes involved in
starting a new unit. You can refer participants here for further information.
Feeding back on ‘Recruiting girls’
The methods needed for recruiting young members will be different depending on the location, and section that
the local area is recruiting for. Remind participants that any recruitment should be followed up by a warm
welcome to ensure that girls feel as though they belong from the very beginning of their guiding journey. This
should include ensuring that they are contacted within 21 days of applying to join.
Section 4.2
Recruitment:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 64
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 64
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
New volunteers are important. They bring fresh energy and ideas into the organisation, provide vital
support for existing activities, and give their time and skills to help us expand. They are essential in helping
more young women and girls access guiding.
In Girlguiding we want to make sure that, from the moment a potential volunteer approaches us, they feel
welcome. This is the best way to help them move towards becoming a new volunteer.
First impressions count, and your appearance and behaviour speak volumes about who you are and what you
represent. A bad first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse, so those first encounters are extremely
important and set the tone for all the relationships that follow.
Supporting those in the first stages of volunteering is important for retention. If a new volunteer is not welcomed
and made to feel that their contribution is valued, they may lose interest and walk away.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 65
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 65
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Arrange the participants into a circle, leaving one
chair empty.
•
Tell them to spend two minutes thinking about one
incident where they were made to feel welcome in a
new group or place, and one example of where they
were not made to feel welcome.
•
When the time is up, ask a volunteer to take the hot
seat and share both experiences.
•
Ask the remaining participants to ask questions and
explore how the volunteer felt in both situations.
•
Repeat the exercise with two or three more
volunteers.
•
As a group, ask the participants to reflect on key
learning points: What have they found that works
really well? What will they do differently when they
next meet a potential new member? How does body
language play a part?
Small
group
working
•
Chairs
We know from our own
experience what helps us feel
welcomed and comfortable.
Something as simple as a
smile makes a huge
difference and can change
how we feel in a situation.
Non-verbal communication
methods, such as facial
expressions, tone of voice,
gestures, and the physical
distance between
communicators, are just as
important as verbal
communication. Ask your
group to explore the
different types of non-verbal
communications that help
them feel at ease and those
that create a barrier.
5.1a. Hot seat
Purpose: To understand how different types of welcome can make you feel, giving a greater insight into the importance of a warm welcome.
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 66
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 66
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Ask the participants to form small groups.
•
Give each group an envelope containing a flow chart
diagram that maps the journey of a new volunteer
who wants to help out at a unit.
•
Ask participants to rearrange the flow chart and map
a volunteer’s journey based on the different types of
welcome they receive.
•
Come back together and go through the volunteer’s
journey. Review each stage and explore the impact
each action has on the journey.
Small
group
working
Copy of
Appendix N
(page 129)
per group,
cut up
5.1b. New volunteer’s journey
Purpose: To explore the impact of a warm welcome on a new volunteer’s journey.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 67
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 67
5.1c. Questions and answers
Purpose: This activity will encourage participants to go back to basics and consider things from a new volunteer’s perspective.
Identifying the needs of new volunteers
Identifying the needs of new and returning volunteers will help you ensure you cater for these needs. Before a
new volunteer starts, it’s helpful to have a conversation about the time commitment they can offer, their skills
and expertise, and the support they require.
Knowing their needs puts you in a better position to offer the right opportunity to each volunteer and as a result
make them feel that Girlguiding is the right fit for them.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes +
15 minutes
for discussion
• Divide participants into small groups.
•
Ask each group to take a different volunteer from this list:
- Unit Leader
- Unit Helper
- Young Leader
- District Secretary
- County Commissioner.
• Ask them to consider all the questions the new volunteer might
ask, for example: ‘When should I arrive at a unit meeting?’,
‘Where can I buy guiding uniform?’ or ‘Can I claim expenses?’.
They should write their questions on flipchart paper.
• At the end of the activity, bring the whole group back together
and compare the questions. Are they able to answer all of
them? If there are questions they can’t answer, an action point
could be to include it in their induction process.
Small group
working
• Flipchart
•
Pens
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 68
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 68
Identifying obstacles
Not everyone who registers their interest, either through Join Us or with a current member, becomes a
volunteer. We need to understand the obstacles that prevent them doing so.
5.1d. Moments of truth
Purpose: To consider the parts of a business transaction that can go wrong, and relate this to the process of becoming a new guiding volunteer.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
1 hour
Introduction (10 minutes)
•
Explain the activity using the example of a hotel stay.
•
Draw a clock face and explain that this represents the time which
passes during a single ‘business transaction’. A good example is a night
away in a hotel. The time period starts the moment the customer
starts looking for a hotel and lasts until the moment they leave the
hotel at the end of their stay.
•
The time period can be broken down into shorter slots – days, hours,
minutes.
•
For the purpose of this exercise, these periods of time are known as
‘moments of truth’. Each ‘moment of truth’ represents a critical part
of the business transaction which, if it goes wrong, could leave the
customer feeling dissatisfied. Using the hotel stay as an example, the
moments could be:
- searching for a hotel
- finding out about facilities
- finding out about prices
- ringing the hotel to check availability
- making a reservation
- finding the hotel
- parking the car
- arriving in reception… and so on.
Small
group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Copies of
Appendix O
(page 130)
•
Paper
•
Pens
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
5.1d. Moments of truth is continued overleaf
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 69
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 69
5.1d. Moments of truth (continued)
Purpose: To consider the parts of a business transaction that can go wrong, and relate this to the process of becoming a new guiding volunteer.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
1 hour
•
A customer might have a poor experience which could have an impact
on his or her impression of the hotel. For example, there wasn’t
enough information about facilities on the website; the car park was
full; the receptionist was rude and so on.
Activity (15 minutes)
•
Ask participants to work in pairs or small groups to consider the
recruitment experience for an adult volunteering for the first time.
Choose one of these roles: Unit Leader, Occasional Helper, Treasurer,
a girl interested in joining guiding.
•
For each scenario, ask the participants to identify the key moments of
truth – the things that might go wrong – that could put the process at
risk. Suggest that they work from the first point of contact with the
organisation up to six months into membership. The main focus should
be on the welcome but ask them to give some consideration to
retention too.
Feedback (10 minutes)
•
Invite participants to share the outcomes.
• Compare the adult and girl experiences. Are the issues the same or are
they different?
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
5.1d. Moments of truth is continued overleaf
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 70
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 70
5.1d. Moments of truth (continued)
Purpose: To consider the parts of a business transaction that can go wrong, and relate this to the process of becoming a new guiding volunteer.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
1 hour
Action planning (10 minutes)
•
Give each small group or pair a copy of the action plan from
Appendix O.
•
Ask the groups to work through the list of things that could go wrong
and identify concrete actions that could be taken to minimise or
remove the risk of these occurring.
•
Indicate whether the action is a local or national responsibility – eg if
the issue is with the Girlguiding website, it would be appropriate for
the action to be taken nationally; if the issue is linked to an adult’s
experience at her first unit meeting, it may be more appropriate for
the action to be taken locally.
Round-up (15 minutes)
•
At the end of the session, share the outcomes.
•
Ask participants to consider how they will take forward the actions
they have planned. It might be helpful if someone could collect all the
plans together.
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 71
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 71
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
Video: 2
minutes
Discussion:
10 minutes
•
Watch video
•
‘The fictional Retro Encabulator device,
which uses six hydrocoptic marzel vanes and
an ambifacient lunar wane shaft to prevent
unwanted side fumbling…’
•
Explore the jargon we use at Girlguiding and
how that can make new volunteers feel.
• Discuss how we can make it clearer for them.
Discussion
•
Access to the internet and
YouTube
Link for the video:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=aW2LvQUcwqc
Check that the
link, your
internet
connection and
speakers are
working before
the session
starts.
5.1e. Video: Technical jargon overload
Purpose: This video clip is an example of how jargon can be confusing if you’re not in the know. Volunteers who are new to guiding may feel just
as confused by the jargon that is commonly used in guiding.
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 72
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 72
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Arrange the chairs into pairs, back-to-back.
•
Divide the group into pairs.
•
Each pair sits back-to-back.
•
Give one person in each pair a piece of paper
and a pencil.
•
Give the other person in each pair a copy of
Appendix P.
•
Ask the participants with Appendix P to describe
the picture to their partner, giving instructions
for them to draw it. Their partner must try and
replicate the drawing by following the
instructions.
•
At the end of the activity, compare all the
drawings. How closely have they been able to
replicate the picture?
Pair
working
•
A4 paper and
pens per pair
•
Copy of
Appendix P
(page 131)
per pair
•
Chairs
This activity relates to how
we speak to new volunteers.
Remember that a lot of the
things that we take for
granted will be unfamiliar to
someone who is joining
guiding for the first time, and
there may be a lot of
information for them to take
in and remember.
5.1f. Back-to-back drawings
Purpose: To practise giving clear explanations to someone who is unfamiliar with something – in this case, an abstract drawing.
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 73
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 73
Overcoming obstacles
Difficulties arise throughout a volunteer’s journey. Some are created by communication breakdowns, personality
clashes or misunderstandings. This activity looks at how you can get Leaders and their teams to help minimise and
overcome these difficulties. What solutions can the participants identify to overcome any problems they face?
5.1g. Problems and pitfalls
Purpose: To help participants to think about what they would do to resolve problems that may arise when a new volunteer joins.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Ask participants to discuss a difficult situation they are
currently facing or have faced in the past. How do/did
they feel about it? What has been done to resolve the
situation? What was the outcome? What would they do
differently?
• If participants are struggling to get started, or do not feel
comfortable discussing a problem that is personal to
them, you can suggest some scenarios:
-
A personality clash between a new volunteer and the
Unit Leader.
- The new volunteer has started to arrive late at
meetings.
- The new volunteer is visually impaired and parents
have raised concerns that their disability makes them
unsuitable to help at the unit.
Pair or small
group
working
• Flipchart
•
Pens
Tip: This activity
may raise some
real-life issues so
remind participants
about confidentiality
beforehand! Keep
names and details
confidential.
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 74
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 74
Induction
Induction is part of the welcoming process and is critical to help a volunteer settle in and grow in confidence during
the early stages (eg within the first year) of their role.
Induction gives the volunteer an overview of our organisation and highlights the culture and ethics, helping them
integrate into Girlguiding. It gives them the information they need to perform their role effectively, and builds social
networks. It also ensures they know who to contact if there is an issue.
The length and nature of the induction process depends on the complexity of the role and the background of the
new volunteer. One size does not fit all - a standardised induction course is unlikely to satisfy anyone.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
+ 5 minutes
for discussion
•
Ask each participant to think about the current
practices in place to welcome and induct a new
volunteer. They should list everything they cover.
•
Pair participants with someone from a different
unit, District, Division or County and ask them to
compare practices.
•
Give each pair or group a copy of Appendix Q - a
checklist of suggested induction actions. Ask them
to cross-reference these against their own list and
identify any gaps in what they are doing.
•
Finally, ask them to make an action point of one
new thing they will do, or one thing they will do
differently, to welcome and induct volunteers.
Individual
or small
group
working
•
Pens
•
Paper
•
Copy of
Appendix Q
(page 132)
per individual
or group
This conversation can be
expanded further. Which
actions from the checklist
could be used for existing
volunteers who take on
new roles?
5.1h. Volunteer checklist
Purpose: To consider what actions can be taken to help a volunteer settle in. This can be done as an individual activity or in small groups.
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 75
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 75
5.1i. Organise a welcome event
Purpose: To familiarise participants with the pack Welcome to Girlguiding, which can be tailored to local areas. (The pack can be ordered from
the Online Print Centre.) Enable them to design their own welcome event incorporating the pack.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes +
10 minutes
for feedback
•
Ask participants to form small groups and give
each a copy of Welcome to Girlguiding and a
flipchart. Invite groups to use the pack to
organise an event with clear aims and objectives.
What will they talk about? What activities could
be used to showcase guiding? Who needs to be
present?
•
Take feedback from each group, asking them to
select a few of their favourite ideas. Suggest that
they try some in their District/Division. The ideas
could be photographed at the session for
participants to take away, or typed up
afterwards for future use.
•
Share a case study of a welcome event, using
Appendix R.
Small
group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Copies of
Welcome to
Girlguiding
(one per
group)
•
Appendix R
(page 133)
Feeding back on ‘welcome and induction: volunteers’
The welcome and induction of new volunteers is a first and important step towards supporting retention of
volunteers. People who feel supported at the beginning of their volunteer journey are more likely to feel
confident to continue with the organisation. Find out which activities, if any, the participants will take away in
order to improve their volunteer induction.
Section 5.1
Welcome and induction:
Adult volunteers
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 76
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 76
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
When welcoming new girls, it is important to consider how they might feel at their very first meeting. They
may feel shy or nervous. They may not know any of the other girls, or may be joining with one or two
friends and are reluctant to get to know other girls.
The welcome for every girl should be warm and inclusive. This will help make her comfortable enough to stay on
and enjoy what we have to offer.
Ensure she is aware of the adventure, fun and variety of guiding. Planning activities and games that involve
everyone is a great way for girls to get to know each other and for new girls to settle in. You could also run a
craft session where the girls make welcome gifts for newcomers – this is particularly good for Rainbow and
Brownie units.
For older girls beginning Guides or The Senior Section, the welcome is just as important. Get new members
involved in the decision-making process so they feel that they are contributing, or assign a buddy to make the
new member feel welcome.
Activity ideas and case studies can be found in guiding magazine. See ‘Resources’ (page 114) for a list of useful
articles.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 77
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 77
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes to
idea storm +
20 minutes
for discussion
•
Working in pairs, ask participants to think about
some good examples of when they welcomed new
girl members into their unit.
•
As a whole group, ask participants to share their
best examples.
•
Discuss the following questions:
- What kind of things work really well?
- How involved were the existing girls in these
welcomes?
- What worked best for each section?
• Ask participants to think about taking best practice
back to their own units.
Discussion
5.2a. Best practice (all ages)
Purpose: To identify and share best practice in welcoming young members.
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 78
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 78
5.2b. Keeping Chloe out (4-14yrs)
Purpose: To identify the barriers that could be faced by a prospective girl member and think about how to overcome them.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes +
20 minutes for
discussion
•
Give the group the following scenario: Chloe is
interested in becoming a Guide, Rainbow or Brownie.
•Ask participants to use the junk items (or just a sheet of
flipchart paper and pens), to design an obstacle course.
Each obstacle should represent something they will do to
prevent Chloe from achieving her goal, and to make her
feel as unwelcome as possible! Examples could include
forgetting to tell her the time of the meeting, not
knowing her name when she arrives, or sending her to
join in the middle of an activity that the other girls have
already started.
•
Discuss the following questions:
- How many of the obstacles you created are real? Is
there anything you could do to remove them?
- Would the obstacles be different depending on
Chloe’s age and circumstances? For example, if she
was an older or younger girl/a wheelchair user/from
a different social background? If so, how?
- What could you do to break down these new
obstacles?
- Would the obstacles be the same if Chloe decided
to join another youth organisation, eg a local youth
club, dance class or The Scout Association? !
Discussion
•
An assortment
of junk items
•Sticky tape and
glue
•
Paper
•
Pens
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 79
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 79
5.2c. Pressure facing young people (14+)
Purpose: To identify pressures facing potential members aged 14+ and identify what we have on offer to help relieve those pressures.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes +
15 minutes
for discussion
•Give each participant a handout with an outline of
a person on it, (Appendix S). Ask them to think
about the pressures that a potential member aged
14 may face when deciding whether to join
Girlguiding.
•
In pairs, ask participants to list all the external
pressures young people face around the outside of
the person.
•
Ask them to join another pair and discuss how
these pressures can become obstacles which may
prevent them from joining guiding.
•
Discuss how Girlguiding can help in relieving these
pressures.
Discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Copy of
Appendix S
(page 134)
per person
Tip: You can adapt this
activity to other age
groups.
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 80
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 80
Welcoming parents/carers
Often, the only experience a parent will have of guiding is when they drop their daughter off at the unit and pick
her up at the end. They won’t see all the exciting things that happen during the meeting that make their daughter
want to come back week after week.
Extending a warm welcome to parents by involving them in some way can have many benefits. Nurturing a positive
image of guiding will encourage them to spread the word to other parents, enrol other daughters in guiding, or get
involved as volunteers.
Parents also make great volunteers. They can provide the support you need as Unit Helpers, Occasional Helpers or
even Leaders. You may find that a parent has a special skill that can be taught to your unit members. Make that
welcome warm and you may get more back in return than you expected.
5.2d. Discussion: Making parents feel welcome
Purpose: To identify ways of making parents feel welcome.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
•
Ask members to discuss how parents are welcomed before the
first meeting. Get them to talk about the following points.
•
Emails or phone calls made before the first meeting.
•
What parents/carers need to know before coming to their first
meeting.
•
How they are made to feel welcome at their first meeting.
What practices are in place?
•
How are they introduced to the way guiding works?
•
What do you have in place to gather feedback from parents
about their introduction to guiding?
Discussion
• Flipchart
•
Pens
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 81
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 81
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
•
Divide the participants into groups and ask them
to discuss what they can do to make parents
welcome at Promise events. Focus on the
following questions.
- What will the girls do to showcase the
programme, eg a photo display/a short video/
role-play?
- How much information about Girlguiding in
general will you give?
- How will you get feedback from them at the
end of the event?
• Regroup and share ideas.
Discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
5.2e. Making parents/carers feel welcome at a Promise event
Purpose: To identify the information parents/carers need in order to understand Girlguiding and feel welcome.
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 82
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 82
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
•
Ask participants to form groups and talk about
what could be discussed at meetings with
parents/guardians.
•
Ask participants to form small groups to discuss
the following scenarios with parents/guardians,
what would they need to say and any information
required to be given out when they have the
discussion:
- Girl moving to a new section
- New girl to the unit
- Issues with girls’ behaviour
- Needing extra help with running the unit
•
Feedback on what each group would do.
Discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•The scenarios
written on
pieces of
paper
Remember to suggest that
a pre-arranged discussion
with a parent/guardian is
better than ad-hoc, so you
all have enough time to
talk.
5.2f. Meetings with parents/carers
Purpose: To think about the effectiveness of meetings with parents/carers.
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 83
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 83
Welcoming the wider community
Moving to a new area can be a daunting and lonely experience, and becoming a member of Girlguiding can be a
way for young people to connect with the community, make friends and establish roots. Girlguiding can play a part
in this process by being there to welcome newcomers.
5.2g. Identifying your community
Purpose: To consider ways of engaging with the wider community.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Ask participants to form groups.
•
On the flipchart paper, draw a quick map of the
local area, highlighting schools, places of worship,
public places, markets etc.
•
Using sticky notes, participants should write how
they would engage with people from these places.
•
Ask the groups to rotate and read the ideas from
different groups.
Discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Sticky notes
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 84
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 84
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Ask participants to form groups.
•
Each group should list what the local community
would benefit from, on flipchart paper.
•Think about how these needs are currently fulfilled
by Girlguiding.
•Discuss how guiding can provide additional support
to the community.
Discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
Suggested benefits could
be:
•
Youth work in a
community centre, that
currently doesn’t have
anything.
•
Social action work for a
community goal e.g.
more play areas/ new
planting to an area etc.
•
Providing a link into a
community that didn’t
know about guiding.
5.2h. Understanding your community
Purpose: To identify your community’s needs.
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 85
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 85
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Ask participants to identify all existing work done
around warm welcomes. They could work
individually, or pair up with others from the same
District or Division. Identify areas for more
development.
•
Create an action plan for what they would like to
implement after the training.
•
Decide who needs to be involved, what resources
will be needed, and if there are cost implications.
•
Set a date for implementation.
Pair work
•
Pens
•
Paper
5.2i. Making a plan
Purpose: To create an action plan around warm welcomes.
Feeding back on ‘welcome and induction: \RXQJ members’
Providing a good welcome and induction for our young members is vital to ensuring they feel supported
throughout their time in guiding, and they are more likely to be retained in the organisation. Find out how the
participants will be taking this back to their local areas.
Section 5.2
Welcome and induction:
Young members
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit
86
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 86
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Members of Girlguiding come from a variety of backgrounds, with different skills and experiences. We want to
ensure guiding remains accessible for all girls and volunteers, and there are lots of ways to make sure that
everyone can be involved.
6a. Role on the wall
Purpose: Participants identify what makes up a ‘typical’ volunteer.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes +
10 minutes for
discussion
•
Split participants into groups of four, and give
each group a piece of flipchart paper.
• Ask the groups to draw the outline of a volunteer.
Then get them to think about what makes a
'typical' volunteer. They should consider the
following, then write their ideas in the outline:
age, background, interests, feelings, upbringing,
what she does, her family circumstances etc.
• Bring everyone back together and compare the
'typical' volunteers.
• Explore what characteristics are missing and why.
• Ask the group to think about the following
questions:
- What are the challenges to volunteers being
similar?
- How does this affect recruitment?
• Should there be a ‘typical’ volunteer?
• Consider roles done by other genders.
Discussion
•
Flipchart
• Pens
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 90
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 90
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Ask participants to form small groups. They should
discuss how they could welcome and accommodate
the following new members.
1. Karen is interested in becoming a Leader and is
willing to work with any age group but can’t
attend meetings before 8pm because that is
when her partner gets home from work.
2.
Kim used to be a Brownie Leader before she had
her four children. She wants to stay involved in
some way but has very little time to spare at
the moment.
3. Galina would like to become a Leader but can’t
make a weekly commitment because of her
husband’s shifts.
4. Neil is keen to support guiding as his two
daughters enjoyed being Brownies. He belongs
to the Ramblers’ Association, and keeps the
accounts for the local church.
5. Clare’s daughter is in Guides and she says she is
happy to help, but the unit already has three
adult Leaders.
•
Come back together as a whole group and share the
ideas. Did they identify any further information that
would help them?
Small group
discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
Sharing key points
from the
discussion will
emphasise – with
practical
examples – how
guiding can
welcome
everyone, and
make sure that
misconceptions
are dealt with.
6e. Open doors
Purpose: To explore how to welcome and accommodate new members and demonstrate that guiding is for everyone.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 90
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 90
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Ask participants to form small groups. They should
discuss how they could welcome and accommodate
the following new members.
1. Karen is interested in becoming a Leader and is
willing to work with any age group but can’t
attend meetings before 8pm because that is
when her partner gets home from work.
2.
Kim used to be a Brownie Leader before she had
her four children. She wants to stay involved in
some way but has very little time to spare at
the moment.
3. Galina would like to become a Leader but can’t
make a weekly commitment because of her
husband’s shifts.
4. Neil is keen to support guiding as his two
daughters enjoyed being Brownies. He belongs
to the Ramblers’ Association, and keeps the
accounts for the local church.
5. Clare’s daughter is in Guides and she says she is
happy to help, but the unit already has three
adult Leaders.
•
Come back together as a whole group and share the
ideas. Did they identify any further information that
would help them?
Small group
discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
Sharing key points
from the
discussion will
emphasise – with
practical
examples – how
guiding can
welcome
everyone, and
make sure that
misconceptions
are dealt with.
6e. Open doors
Purpose: To explore how to welcome and accommodate new members and demonstrate that guiding is for everyone.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit
87
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 87
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
+ 10
minutes
to play +
10 minutes
for
discussion
•
Working in small groups, invite the participants to make up an
imaginary woman. They should consider the following: her age,
what she does, her family circumstances etc.
• Challenge each group to design a board game using the range of
materials available. At the start (in one corner of the paper)
should be the woman, and at the finish (in the opposite corner)
should be guiding.
• Participants must construct a pathway between the start and the
finish, using the craft materials and images from the magazines to
represent all the issues that could be going on in the woman’s life:
- study/work commitments
- relationships
- family
- confidence
- limited time
- finances etc.
• Instruct participants to decide whether the things on the board
are going to be hoops (opportunities) or hurdles (barriers) to
volunteering. Draw a circle around the hoops and a square around
the hurdles.
• Once they have finished making their boards, the participants can
have a go at playing the game (allow 10 minutes for this). For each
hurdle they land on, they must try to think of a possible solution.
• Invite the groups to compare their game boards and spend 10
minutes discussing their hoops and hurdles.
• Note: consider roles done by other genders.
Discussion
•
Flipchart
paper
• Craft
materials –
glue, scissors,
pens,
coloured
paper
• Women’s and
teenagers’
magazines
• Membership
growth
resources
(see page
114)
• Counters
• Dice
6b. Hoops or hurdles?
Purpose: Participants identify the things in life that might be barriers (hurdles) or opportunities (hoops) to volunteering, by designing a board game.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 88
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 88
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•Ask participants to think of the units in their District/Division/
County – what would they need to know to welcome the
following new members?
- Seven-year-old Abigail uses a wheelchair.
- Anja is Muslim and worries that meetings will not be
welcoming to her, because she has heard that many
groups meet in church halls.
- Five-year-old Nya is visually impaired.
- Six girls aged 12 want to join Guides and want to stay
together.
•
Facilitate a small-group discussion. How could the group
manage these requests to join guiding? What further
information would help them? Sharing key points from the
discussion will emphasise, with practical examples, how
guiding can welcome everyone and make sure that by-laws
and other misconceptions are dealt with.!
Discussion !
For hints
and tips on
including
all, visit the
inclusion
webpages:
Home >
Making
guiding
happen >
Running
your unit >
Including all
6c.Flexiblity for girls
Purpose: To discuss scenarios where applying flexibility and inclusion can enable girls to join guiding.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 89
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 89
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes +
20 minutes
for discussion
•
Split participants into small groups and invite them to
consider the following questions.
- What could participants do to make guiding more
flexible?
-
What unusual venues might participants be able to try out
locally?
- Have participants considered meeting at different times,
frequencies or having multi-age units?
•
At the end of the discussion, invite the groups to compare
answers and share key points from their discussions.!
Discussion
•Flipchart paper
•
Pens
!
6d. Flexible guiding group discussion
Purpose: To discuss flexible guiding and share best practice.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 90
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 90
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Ask participants to form small groups. They should
discuss how they could welcome and accommodate
the following new members.
1. Karen is interested in becoming a Leader and is
willing to work with any age group but can’t
attend meetings before 8pm because that is
when her partner gets home from work.
2.
Kim used to be a Brownie Leader before she had
her four children. She wants to stay involved in
some way but has very little time to spare at
the moment.
3. Galina would like to become a Leader but can’t
make a weekly commitment because of her
husband’s shifts.
4. Neil is keen to support guiding as his two
daughters enjoyed being Brownies. He belongs
to the Ramblers’ Association, and keeps the
accounts for the local church.
5. Clare’s daughter is in Guides and she says she is
happy to help, but the unit already has three
adult Leaders.
•
Come back together as a whole group and share the
ideas. Did they identify any further information that
would help them?!
Small group
discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
!
Sharing key points
from the
discussion will
emphasise – with
practical
examples – how
guiding can
welcome
everyone, and
make sure that
misconceptions
are dealt with.
6e. Open doors
Purpose: To explore how to welcome and accommodate new members and demonstrate that guiding is for everyone.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 91
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 91
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•Split into groups and give each group a set of jigsaw
pieces from Appendix T. They need to match the
role and the person description.
•
Once everyone has completed the task, ask each
group to feed back which role matched the person.!
Small group
working
A copy of
Appendix T (page
135) per group,
cut up
Remind
participants that
only female
members can hold
roles where
taking the
Promise is
required.
6f. Role jigsaw
Purpose: To investigate how we can find the right roles for volunteers.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 92
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 92
Guiding in new areas
A new area or community can provide a good opportunity to focus our energies and actively increase our
membership. It could be an area where guiding has not had a presence before, or a brand new housing
development or community.
A unit set up 10 years ago in an area of many Brownie-aged children may no longer be as popular and you may
find that girl numbers are decreasing by the term. This may be because the population has not expanded, but it
has aged. This will mean your Brownie-aged children will all now be 17 years old and over. If new families
haven’t moved in, you may need to adapt guiding provision in that area, whether that means opening a unit of
The Senior Section, or moving the Brownie unit to a location where there is a need for it.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
5-10 minutes
•
Invite participants to think about what a ‘new area’
could be. You can do this as a whole group or in
smaller groups, depending on group size. Answers
could include things such as:
- new housing developments
- people from different cultural backgrounds
- people from low-income backgrounds
- remote areas, such as rural communities
- new units
-
new sections.!
Group
working
6g. What is a new area?
Purpose: To identify what ‘new area’ means to the participants and their local area.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 93
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 93
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Give each group some flipchart paper and pens, and invite them
to draw a new house. The house must include walls, foundations,
windows (as many as they like), a door, a roof, a smoking
chimney, and a fence.
•
Each part of the house represents something that can help build
guiding in a new area. Invite each group to answer the following
questions, noting their answers on the relevant part of the
house. Ask them to use a different coloured pen for their
answers.
- Foundations – what research can they do into the chosen
area (if any)? Are there lessons they can build upon from
past experiences?
- Door – who do they want to invite into the house?
- Windows – how can they ensure guiding is seen in the local
community? Think of one method of promotion for each
window drawn.
- Roof – what will make guiding feel like a safe space for the
people they want to invite in?
- Smoking chimney – what message do they want to get
across?
- Fence – what barriers do they have?
•When each group has finished, invite them to tack their drawings
up on the wall. Compare the drawings and notes, and invite
feedback.!
Small group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Variety of
coloured
pens
•Sticky tack
6h. Building blocks
Purpose:
Identify the building blocks needed to establish guiding within a new community.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 94
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 94
Feeding back on ‘Flexibility and inclusion’
Girlguiding is for everyone, and we want to make sure our offer is welcoming and open to all. Ask the
participants to think about the methods they currently use to ensure that guiding remains accessible to everyone,
and get them to write down at least one action that they will take away from the session.
Section 6
Flexibility and inclusion
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 95
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 95
Section 7
Retention
It is important to consider our younger members when thinking about retention. Members of The Senior
Section can begin training to become a Young Leader at the age of 14, or can take on the role of Leader at
18. Becoming a Leader can provide young women with valuable skills that can support other areas of life
including careers and education. If they are inspired and supported to become adult members they may stay
on as Leaders or take on other roles in guiding for years to come.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•Divide participants into pairs or small groups and give each group
some sticky notes.
•
Invite them to answer the question ‘Who has a role to play in
supporting members aged 14 to 18 and how can they encourage
them to stay involved?’
•
Ask participants to fill out one sticky note for each person in
guiding who has a role to play and stick them on a wall or
flipchart.
•
Discuss the answers from each group.!
Small group
working
•
Sticky
notes
•
Pens
7a. Sticky note challenge
Purpose: To highlight that youth retention and transitions are everyone’s responsibility and shouldn’t just fall to one person (ie The Senior Section
Adviser or District Commissioner).
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 96
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 96
The right person for the role
Volunteers who are already part of guiding are ideal candidates for roles that need filling. Each volunteer comes
with their own level of expertise and experience, and sometimes those talents can be wasted and not used to
their full potential. For example, if you need an accountant, look at your current volunteer pool and utilise their
skills. Some volunteers may be happy to take on more than one role, but be careful not to overstretch or
overwork your volunteer.
Personal development for volunteers is a good antidote to ‘guiding fatigue’: being enthused by a new role is a
way for them to remain engaged with the organisation. Remember to have a good line of communication with
your volunteers; you should know what they want and need from their guiding experience and what they can
offer. Finally, be clear on what the role is, what the expectations are and what skills are needed.
Section 7
Retention
7b. Leader in charge
Purpose:
To show the range of responsibilities a Young Leader can take on.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•Divide participants into pairs or small groups and give each group
a flipchart sheet.
•
Ask them to list on the sheet all the jobs that Leaders in charge
of the unit usually do.
•
Then ask them to pass the list on to the next group, who should
divide the list up into ‘what Leaders can do’ and ‘what Young
Leaders can do’.
•
Ask them, finally, to pass the list on again to the next group – do
they agree with the choices?!
Small group
working
•Flip chart
•
Pens
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 97
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 97
Succession planning
There can be many reasons why adult members need to move on from their guiding roles. It could be a new job,
baby or house move, or an upheaval such as divorce or redundancy. Whatever the reason, change can be
challenging, and it’s important that you support the person leaving as well as ensuring there is someone to take
over.
Thinking ahead is key. You should have a fairly good idea of who is due to retire, go away to university or come
to the end of a fixed-term role, so think about your options early. Consider whether you need to fill the role or if
it could be covered in another way, such as sharing it between members. Remember that you can look beyond
guiding to ‘talent spot’ individuals who might be interested.
Where possible, encourage leavers to be involved in planning for their departure. Guiding is often an important
part of members’ lives and can be a source of stability in times of change. Make sure those leaving are given the
opportunity to keep in touch – perhaps they can still contribute in some way.
Finally, it’s important that you have the right conversations and are communicating clearly to your members.
Talking to existing members about what your needs are may well give rise to an opportunity for an existing
member to volunteer for the role that is becoming vacant.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Ask the group to discuss what they have done in their Districts,
Divisions and Counties to support succession planning.
•
Get participants to share best practice, things that didn’t work
as well and any flexible options they used.
Small group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
7c. Succession best practice
Purpose: To share best practice around succession planning.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 98
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 98
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Divide the group into fours.
•
Ask each group to identify a role which has a limited
length of term.
•
The group should consider the ‘ideal’ volunteers they
could target to take on this role. Ask them to think
about:
- what skills they need,
- what their availability may be like, and their
commitment levels.
- How they will approach this member?
- How will they ensure this member is adequately
trained and prepared for the role?
•
Get participants to regroup and share their plans. !
Small group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Selection of
Girlguiding role
descriptions for
tables
This activity
works most
effectively
when the
participants
are from the
same guiding
area.
You may want
to divide the
discussion in
two, to focus
on succession
planning for
unit roles and
succession
planning for
supporting
roles. !
7d. Succession plan
Purpose: To understand how to identify potential members to fill vacant roles, and how to train them for a new role.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 99
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 99
Section 7
Retention
How to retain girls
Making every meeting great is essential in retaining girls - if the girls are not enjoying themselves, they will drift
away. They must have the opportunity to have fun, try new things and develop if they are to keep coming back.
The programme should incorporate the Five Essentials, which are:
• Working together in small groups
• Encouraging self-government and decision making
• A balanced and varied programme
• Caring for the individual
• Sharing a commitment to a common standard.
The Five Essentials can help to retain members through ensuring that the programme meets the aims of guiding.
When creating a programme, sometimes it’s easy to make assumptions about what the girls will enjoy. Involving
girls in programme planning is the best way to ensure that they are engaged and enthusiastic. However, Leaders’
knowledge and experience is also needed to make sure that the programme really is balanced and varied. This
can include bringing in new activities and stepping outside the unit’s comfort zone in order to offer adventure
and challenge. Some ideas for this are included in the
Good guiding is… resource.
Over the last 10 years Girlguiding has increased in size; however, not all units experience the same level of
growth. While some units grow with large waiting lists, others are losing girls and having to close. Brownies is the
biggest section and attracts most girls, yet far fewer make the transition to Guides.
With every area growing at a different rate, it's important to identify the factors that may be causing young
members to leave the organisation.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 100
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 100
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Ask the participants to split into two groups.
•
Give each group a case study from Appendix U.
•
The groups should examine the guiding
experience of their allocated persona and list
everything guiding can offer them. Can they
identify what has kept the individual in guiding?
•Bring the groups back for feedback and reflect on
what they discussed.
Small group
working
•
Appendix U
(page 136)
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
7e. Changing factors
Purpose: To identify the factors that may influence girls who stay in guiding.!
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Split the participants into four groups, and give
each group a sheet of flipchart paper.
•
Ask them to discuss all internal and external
factors that could cause a girl or young women to
leave guiding.
•
Bring the groups back together to feed back and
reflect.
Small group
working
•
Pens
•
4 pieces of
flipchart paper
(each labelled
with Rainbows,
Brownies,
Guides or The
Senior Section)
You could ask the
group to draw a target
on their sheet of
paper, with the inner
circle labelled
'internal' and outer
labelled 'external', to
make this activity
more visual.
7f. Exiting guiding
Purpose: To explore why girls and young women may choose to leave guiding.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 101
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 101
Section 7
Retention
7g. Like, Dislike, Don’t Know
Purpose: For participants to think creatively about balancing the programme – what haven’t they tried that the girls might enjoy? What do they
already know the girls like?
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
•
Split participants into small groups and invite
them to think about which activities they know
the girls like (tried and tested) which activities
they know they don’t like, and which activities
they don’t know whether or not the girls like.
•
Give each group a set of sticky notes. Ask them
to add one activity per note on the relevant
colour. Encourage them to think creatively and
include some unusual suggestions as well as
standard activities. For example, they might
know their girls like baking and dislike craft, but
don’t know whether they like science
experiments, holding snakes or eating blue
potatoes!
•
Next, bring the sticky notes together and share
some of the ideas.
•
Explain that balancing a programme, as
suggested by Good guiding is… gives girls more
opportunities to explore new things. The ‘don’t
knows’ could be the next adventure!
Small group
working
•
Flipchart
•
Sticky notes in
three different
colours which
represent
‘like’, ‘dislike’
and ‘don’t
know’
•
Pens
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 102
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 102
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
•
Divide participants into small groups and hand
each group a copy of Good guiding is…
•
Invite each group to select three headings from
the Good guiding is… resource (there are ten
headings in total).
•
Ask them to work through the chosen headings,
spending about five minutes on each, answering
the following questions:
- Which areas are strong within their unit?
Why is this?
- Where is there room for improvement? Can
the group suggest how?
•
At the end of the activity take feedback from
each group, identifying which are areas of
strength and which have room for improvement.!
Small group
working
•
A copy of
Good
guiding is…
•
Paper
•
Pens
7h. Growing room
Purpose: For participants to consider areas of strength and room for improvement.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 103
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 103
7i. How do we retain…?
Purpose: To consider girls at different ages and what participants might do to encourage them to stay.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes +
10 minutes
for discussion
•
Divide participants into four groups. Give each
group a piece of flipchart paper and some pens,
and ask them to do the following. (This example
is for the Brownie age group but can be adapted
for different sections just by changing the age
range.)
- One group should draw a seven-year-old,
give her a name, and identify how they could
keep her in guiding.
- The other three groups should do the same
for an eight, nine and ten-year-old.
•
At the end of the activity, bring the whole group
back together and invite them to discuss their
ideas.!
Small group
working
•
Four sheets of
flipchart paper
•
Pens
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 104
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 104
7j. Unit health check
Purpose: To create a picture of how the Five Essentials are being applied in the area, and to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
•
Give each participant a set of coloured sticky
dots, and explain the rules as follows:
‘I am going to read out a series of statements.
Thinking specifically about units in your District,
Division or County (whichever is relevant to your
role), decide how true each statement is on a
scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is completely true and
1 is not at all true, and place a sticky dot on the
scale. I will tell you which colour dot to use.’
•At the end of the exercise, you can tell them that
each colour represents one of the Five Essentials.
Explain that they have just created a picture of
how well the Five Essentials are being applied in
their area. For example, lots of yellow dots at
the top end of the scale indicate excellent
practice in delivering a varied programme. Ask
learners to share their results in pairs.
•
Were the results surprising or expected?
•
What one thing could they do to move one of
their dots higher up the scale?!
Small group
working
•
A large arrow,
to be displayed
on the wall as
a scale, with
numbers from
1 to 10 along it
•
One set of
coloured sticky
dots per person
•
Statements
from Appendix
V (page 137)!
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 105
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 105
Transition
Transition from one unit to another is an opportunity for our young members to continue to grow with guiding.
While some may recognise and embrace it for the exciting opportunity it will provide in adventure and
leadership, others see it as a daunting and scary prospect.
Having a group of members transitioning together can help. Not only will it reassure them that they will know
someone in the new unit, but it also gives some a sense of security and comfort. But all too often there aren’t
enough girls to transition together into a unit, or there’s simply not enough space in one unit to accommodate
them all. Getting the transition right becomes more of a challenge.
Transition is paramount to our growth and, from the numbers below, you can see that units are dependent on
transition to make up a significant number of their members:
• 32% of Brownies used to be Rainbows
• 61% of Guides used to be Brownies
• 70% of members of The Senior Section used to be Guides
Imagine how many members we would lose if girls didn’t transition – thousands! This is why it is so important that
we do all we can to encourage and support girls to move up to the next section.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 106
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 106
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes +
10 minutes
for feedback
•
Ask participants to form three small groups.
• Assign each group a 'young member' (a Rainbow,
Brownie, Guide or member of The Senior
Section)
•
Ask each group to think about their young
person and what could be done to help that
member transition to the next section. Bring the
groups back together, and ask participants to
share their findings.
Small group
working
•
Pens
•
Paper
7k. Best practice transition
Purpose: To encourage participants to discuss and celebrate good practice.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes +
5 minutes for
feedback
• In small groups, ask participants to discuss what
type of support parents could need when their
daughter is moving up to the next section.
• Ask them to create a checklist of things to cover
when meeting parents.
•
Regroup and ask the participants to compare
their lists. Are there any gaps?
Small group
working
•
Pens
•
Paper
7l. Checklist for parents
Purpose: To identify ways to provide support to parents with girls looking to move up to the next section.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 107
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 107
7m. Hang out your guiding washing
Purpose: For participants to understand growth in their area and what they can do to help sections to grow.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes
• Tie the string along the room, taking care that no one
will walk into it.
•
Peg the t-shirts on the line.
•
Invite the group to guess how many members of each
section there are in the District/Division.
• Tell the group what the actual numbers are and write
them on the t-shirts. How close were the group to
getting the numbers right?
•
Next, facilitate a discussion on how each section can
grow, using the following questions as a guideline:
- Which sections are struggling for members?
- How can participants support those sections to
grow?
- Which sections are doing really well? What are
they doing that could help those that are
struggling?
- What could we do as a District/ Division to help
each section to grow?
- Can we hold a recruitment drive? If so, what can
we do to promote guiding in our area?
- Could you do more joint activities between
sections?
•
Challenge the group to put together an action plan
and carry it out.!
Group
discussion
•
A long piece of
string
• Six clothes pegs
•
Six card cutouts
of t-shirts in a
different colour
for each section,
from Rainbows
to Trefoil Guild
•
Felt-tip pen
•
Membership
statistics from
Go! for each
section for the
District/ Division
you're working
with
Speak to the
County Go!
Adviser if you
don't have
access to the
data you need.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 108
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 108
Retaining volunteers
Volunteers will often have lots of other commitments in their lives – families, jobs, households to run. But with
understanding and flexibility, we can make volunteering an attractive and accessible long-term proposition.
Consider the reasons that volunteers may want to leave. Sometimes there are factors outside of the control of
the organisation, but when we can influence the motivation of volunteers, it’s worthwhile putting in the time to
address any concerns that they have.
Volunteers develop and strengthen their skills and become experts over time; when they leave, they take a
wealth of knowledge and experience with them and you will be left to fill the gaps by starting the recruitment
process all over again. Not only does this divert your energies from other areas but it can also make you feel that
you are stuck in an eternal loop of recruitment. Putting effort into retaining volunteers is good for everyone.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 109
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 109
7n. Events in time
Purpose: To determine the events which could cause a volunteer to leave Girlguiding, and identify solutions which could be put in place to prevent
someone leaving.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
20 minutes +
10 minutes
for feedback
• Split the participants into small groups and ask them to imagine a
volunteer. They must give him/her a name, an age and a life
outside guiding.
• Next, give each group a sheet of flipchart paper and a pen.
• Ask each group to turn their sheet landscape, and draw the
volunteer on the far left-hand side of the paper with a happy face.
Explain that this represents the volunteer at the start of their
guiding journey, when they have just joined.
• On the far right-hand side of the paper, they must draw the
volunteer with an unhappy face. Explain that this represents the
volunteer leaving guiding.
• Then, draw a line between the two figures. Explain that the line
represents one year in time.
• Invite each group to consider what could happen within the course
of the year to result in the volunteer leaving. These could be things
within guiding or in their personal life. Mark up those events above
the timeline. Then answer the following questions and write the
answers below the line:
- Is there anything we could do to help the volunteer to stay?
- What could we do to make guiding more flexible?
- What might we do to encourage the volunteer to return?
• At the end of the activity, bring the groups together and allow ten
minutes to share each group’s ideas.!
Small group
working
•Flipchart
•
Pens
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 110
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 110
7o.Mountain-top moments
Purpose: Participants share a great moment they have had in guiding.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
10 minutes
•
Draw a mountain on a piece of flipchart paper.
Ask participants to write their mountain-top
moment on a sticky note and stick it on the
mountain.
•
Compare and read all the comments.
•
How could our experiences encourage others to
develop, helping keep members engaged and
keep their guiding fresh?
!
Group
discussion
•
Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Sticky notes
If you are working
with a large group,
split the participants
up and scale the
activity to be done in
smaller groups.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 111
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 111
Recognition of achievement
Volunteers should be recognised for their contribution to our organisation. Recognition motivates volunteers to
continue their involvement. It tells them they are doing something well and that they have something meaningful
to contribute. Recognition and approval give volunteers a feeling of accomplishment and fulfilment.
Recognition as an ongoing, once-a-year event to thank all volunteers should not be seen as a substitute for the
day-to-day recognition of contributions. There are different types of recognition and these should be adapted to
according to the volunteer and the work that they have done. One size does not fit all.
Types of recognition
• Intrinsic Intrinsic recognition involves less tangible, inward forms of recognition including the pride of
accomplishment, self-satisfaction and the volunteer’s personal belief that s/he accomplished,
contributed and did better today than last week.
• Extrinsic Extrinsic recognition includes tangible, outward forms of recognition such as badges,
certificates, trophies etc.
• Informal Volunteer Recognition A simple yet personally delivered ‘Thank you for your help’ is always well
received and conveys personal attention and appreciation. Involving your volunteer in Division or
District meetings related to their responsibilities suggests that you value their contributions.
Commissioners and Leaders should take time to greet and interact with volunteers. They should make
every effort to know volunteers’ names, acknowledge their presence and appreciate their contributions.
Managers of volunteers may develop ongoing recognition by sending cards for birthdays or special
events, posting photos of volunteers, planning International Volunteer Day activities, and sharing
volunteers’ achievements through newspapers or newsletters.
• Formal Volunteer Recognition Formal recognition of volunteers involves more structured methods. This
can include certificates of appreciation and special badges presented to volunteers. Presentations of
such items occur at public gatherings that involve a pre-planned programme, such as a meeting of all
volunteers or special reception or meal. Formal recognition for volunteer contributions may also
involve widespread public recognition.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 112
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 112
7p. Formal vs informal recognition
Purpose: Participants identify a list of recognition methods.
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
15 minutes
• In a group get participants to list, on sticky notes, all the types of
recognition they currently use in their Districts, Divisions and
units.
•
Split the ideas into intrinsic and extrinsic columns.
•
Ask participants to share any examples they have.
•
List any other activities that can be put into the column that
haven’t been used by anyone in the group. !
Group
discussion
•Flipchart
•
Pens
•
Sticky
notes
7q.Recognition match-up
Purpose: Participants indentify different types of recognition methods that vary according to achievement
Time Activity Training
method
Resources
needed
Objective
number
Comments
30 minutes
•
Split participants into two groups.
•
Ask groups to examine the scenarios provided in Appendix
W and decide which type of recognition is most appropriate.
•
Regroup, and ask participants to share their results.
•
Did everyone agree or were there any different preferences?
Explore why they chose one particular form of recognition over
another.
•
Give participants five minutes to identify at least one action
point that they can take away and implement to recognise the
achievement of a volunteer in their unit.!
Group
discussion
•One copy of
Appendix W
(page 138)
per group
•
Pens
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 113
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 113
Feeding back on ‘Retention’
Recruiting new members is only worthwhile if we continue to support and retain our current members. Find out
how the participants currently retain their members, and which ideas they will take away to implement in their
local area.
Section 7
Retention
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 114
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 114
Resource
What is it?
Where can it be found?
Ask parents
to help
Webpage containing useful
information on supporting
parents and carers to help.
https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/making-guiding-
happen/growing-our-membership/recruiting-
and-retaining-volunteers/involving-parents/
Guiding and
your CV
Webpage containing useful
information on transferable
skills you can acquire through
guiding and put on your CV.
Home > Making guiding happen > Growing our
membership > Recruiting and retaining
volunteers > Showing the benefits
Show off
guiding
Webpage containing useful
information and supporting
materials to help show off
guiding.
Home > Making guiding happen > Growing our
membership > Promoting guiding
Student
support
Webpage containing useful
information and supporting
materials to recruit and retain
students.
Home > Making guiding happen > Growing our
membership > Recruiting and retaining
volunteers > Involving students
Flexibility
with
volunteers
Webpage with useful
information about making
volunteering flexible.
Home > Making guiding happen > Growing our
membership > Recruiting and retaining
volunteers > Flexible volunteering
Resources
Recruitment resources
Girlguiding offers two ranges of resources to help members with recruitment.
Resources available from Girlguiding Trading Service
You can order recruitment posters and postcards for all sections free of charge from volunteer
shops and our online shop at www.girlguidingshop.co.uk, or by calling the Girlguiding Info Team on
0161 941 2237. See the online shop or Guiding Essentials for the full range.
Resources available from the Online Print Centre
The Online Print Centre (OPC) allows Girlguiding members to create personalised materials to tell
people about guiding in their area and encourage more girls, young women and adult volunteers to
get involved.
The recruitment toolkits available on the OPC can be localised and made specific to a Country,
Region, County, Division, District or even unit. Counties may want to buy the items in large
quantities to give to their units, or Leaders can purchase items for themselves.
The toolkits include the following items that have been designed to make recruitment as easy as
possible:
• postcard (A6)
• posters (A4 and A3)
• banner (spring-loaded 'roll up' banner 850mm x 2,145mm)
• give-away items.
To customise and order any of these items, visit the OPC at www.girlguiding.org.uk/opc.
Supporting resources
You can find a range of membership growth resources and information to support adult volunteer
recruitment on our website.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 115
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 115
Appendix A: What does my area look like?
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 116
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 116
Appendix B: Betty Bead
1. The feet and legs
What is good about guiding already? Our history and our girl-only space.
These are represented by our feet.
What supports our feet? Our legs – the ethos of guiding – our Five
Essentials:
• working together in small groups
• self-government
• a balanced and varied programme
• care for the individual
• commitment to a common standard.
Take two of the chenille sticks and twist them together about 2/3 of
the way down to create legs.
Put five beads on each leg (one for each of the Five Essentials) and
bend the feet up.
2. The body
The body keeps us together, but how do we keep our members? Add
one bead above the twist to represent a new Leader and one felt
flower skirt for a new girl. Then we need one new member per section,
so add four beads to the body. You can also add one extra bead for any
additional roles if you like, eg Trefoil Guild member, Commissioner,
Trainer, Adviser.
3. The arms
We need to reach out to new members so how do we achieve this?
Encourage discussion and emphasise the four Membership Growth key
messages:
• every girl matters
• make that welcome warm
• make every meeting great
• ask for help.
To make the arms, take a third chenille stick and twist it on to the
body. Add four beads to each arm (one for each key message) plus one
more bead for one good idea the trainees have had. Bend the sticks at
the end to create hands to embrace new members with.
4. The neck
We need to know where we are going and what we can do as
individuals, units, Districts, Divisions, Counties, Countries and Regions.
Add one bead above the arms as we stick our necks out.
5. The head
We need to get our heads around guiding in the 21st century so add a
big wooden bead above the neck. Draw on a friendly face.
Remember that Leaders (chenille sticks) are what holds it all together –
without them it falls apart and we cannot grow guiding, so celebrate
what they do.
Each bead dolly will be different, just like our members.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 117
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 117
Appendix C: Recruitment bingo
Someone who has
held a ‘bring a friend’
activity with
her unit
Someone who has
advertised to attract
more girls to
her unit
Someone whose unit has
doubled in
size in the
last year
Someone who
has started a
new unit
Someone who has invited
girls from a feeder unit
to join her unit for a
meeting
Someone who has
used My Pot of Gold,
Brownies Go For It! or
Move On Up! to
encourage girls to join
the next section
Someone who has
contacted a local school
to tell them about her
unit
Someone who always
replies to ‘Join Us’
queries straight
away
Someone who has used
recruitment materials
produced by Girlguiding
to promote her unit
Someone who has
changed her meeting
night to make it more
convenient for girls
Someone who has
changed her meeting
time to make it more
convenient for girls
Someone who has tried
an unusual approach
to recruiting –
what is it?
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 118
Appendix D: Recruitment action plan
Our goals:
For example:
1.Recruit 15 new volunteers by
attending three community events
and trying to advertise roles online
This WEEK we will…
This MONTH we will…
In the next THREE MONTHS
we will…
In the next SIX MONTHS
we will…
By this time NEXT YEAR
we will have achieved…
How will you:
• get better and better at all you do?
• work together as a team to improve local processes?
• work together to ensure that members from all backgrounds benefit from what we do?
• listen to girls and promote their voice?
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 119
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 119
Appendix E: Ten questions to help you plan
1. What needs do we want to meet through this recruitment drive?
2.
What do we hope to achieve?
3.
What units/area will be covered?
4.
What help do we need?
5.
Who do we know who could help?
6.
Do we know anyone with experience of this or something similar? If so, who?
7.
Who do we need to consult before developing our ideas?
8.
How much time can we spend on this recruitment drive?
Remember to factor in time for the following processes:
• preparing and advertising
• interviews
• criminal record checks
• obtaining references.
9.
What ideas do I/we have for a recruitment drive?
10.
What should the action plan be?
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 120
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 120
Appendix F: Organisations that compete with Girlguiding
Name of
organisation
Address of
organisation
What the
organisation does
Reason it competes
with Girlguiding
Suggested ways of
working with it
Notes
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 121
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 121
Appendix G: Organisations that complement Girlguiding
Name of
organisation
Address of
organisation
What the
organisation does
Reason it
complements
Girlguiding
Suggested ways of
working with it
Notes
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 122
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 122
Appendix H: Promoting guiding everywhere
1
• Ask a parent/teacher/friend to help.
• Get in touch with local media (for example,
newspaper or radio station) and let them know
how great guiding is!
• Get involved in an event for Volunteers’ Week.
• Be seen in the local community by taking part in
events.
•
Contact other local community groups so you can
help each other.
• Keep in touch with adults who were previously
involved – they may want to come back one day.
•
Give a talk on guiding to adult groups, colleges or
universities.
• Use your networking skills – talk to people or use
social media.
• Give a warm welcome to everyone.
•
Produce District/Division newsletters and send to
local businesses and councils to keep them
informed of what is happening in local guiding.
2
• Create a ‘reward’ programme locally for
anyone introducing new adults.
• Arrange ‘taster’ sessions for adults.
• Use Volunteer Centre databases.
• Create car stickers to put in parents’ or
Leaders’ cars.
• Encourage Unit Helpers and Occasional
Helpers to progress to the Leadership
Qualification.
• Don’t let other adults think you are
Superwoman!
•
Find an Ambassador (for example, a local role
model) who can help promote guiding.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 123
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 123
Appendix I: Negatives and positives
Said by a 70-year-old woman:
‘I used to be a Guide. It is such a shame that no one wants to join guiding now.’
Answer: Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK. It has 500,000
members and we are growing all the time.
Said by a parent:
‘Girlguiding is a Christian-based organisation and my kids don’t believe in God, so I’ve never
seen Girlguiding as an option.’
Answer: We welcome girls from all backgrounds and our Promise changed to reflect this a few years
ago. We are a youth charity and have no religious affiliations.
Said by a Leader:
‘We don’t offer adventurous activities, that’s what the Scouts do.’
Answer: We offer many opportunities, from climbing mountains to tall ship races, abseiling,
international trips and much more. Check The Guiding Manual as the list of things we can’t do is very
small. Perhaps you need to challenge yourself and your unit to try a new adventurous activity?
Said by a former Guide:
‘There are no Brownies or Guides where I live.’ (There were two Rainbow units, three Brownie
units and two Guide units in her town!)
Answer: There will be – look on Join Us to see where your nearest unit is!
Said by an 18-year-old Young Leader:
‘I’m not able to take on a District or County role as I’m not old enough.’
Answer: Yes, you are! Talk to your local Commissioner and see where there is a role waiting for you!
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 124
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 124
Appendix J: Communication plan template
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Newspaper
Facebook
Twitter
Local newspapers
Direct emails
Letters/Post
Blogs
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 125
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 125
Appendix K: Potential recruits
Reasons for volunteering
Imogen is 30 years old and single, with no dependants. She describes
herself as a ‘workaholic’. She graduated in law and business studies
and works full time as a solicitor.
Imogen was a Brownie, a Guide and member of The Senior Section but
dropped out of guiding when she went to university. She is beginning to
think she would like to do something outside work that is not connected
with her profession. However, because she often works long hours she
would like something flexible. She doesn’t know the local area well,
having bought her flat only for its close transport links.
• What are the benefits of volunteering for Imogen?
• What kind of role might appeal to her?
•
How might you recruit her?
!
Clare is a 24-year-old single mother. She has two girls aged three and
five. She left school early and admits she ‘was never good at anything
at school’. However, she is very good with her children and manages
her limited income well. She works an evening shift at the supermarket
from 9pm to 1am while her mother looks after the children. Her
younger daughter has just joined a playgroup at the local church and
her older one has just started primary school.
Clare would eventually like to work as a nursery nurse but knows it will
be difficult to get a job without qualifications. She wants to gain
training and experience that she can fit around childcare.
• What are the benefits of volunteering for Clare?
• What kind of role might appeal to her?
•
How might you recruit her?
Simon
is a 35-year-old divorcee who recently moved to the area. He
has a son aged ten who lives with his ex-wife. He works as a full-time
accountant and his job takes him all over the UK. He likes to play
squash and attends an evening class in pottery one evening each week.
Simon wants to establish some roots and get to know people, but he
lacks the confidence to make the first approach. He is also unsure
exactly what he wants to do.
• What are the benefits of volunteering for Simon?
• What kind of role might appeal to him?
•
How might you recruit him?
Becky
is 19 years old and has been unemployed since leaving college
a year ago. She didn’t enjoy college – she has dyslexia and reading and
writing are a challenge – but misses interacting with people. She wants
a job but she isn’t sure what she could do. She enjoys cooking but
doesn’t feel confident enough to apply for catering jobs. She always
thought cooking was just a hobby.
Her adviser at the Jobcentre suggested that volunteering could be a
good way to find out if a vocation is right for her. Becky has never
considered this, as she thought volunteering was just something that
old people did.
• What are the benefits of volunteering for Becky?
• What kind of role might appeal to her?
•
How might you recruit her?
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 126
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 126
Appendix K: Potential recruits (continued)
Reasons for volunteering
Alina is in her final year of university, studying design and media. She
has a flair for social media and writes a blog. When she is not in classes
she spends time on social networking sites, developing her profile as a
designer. She is popular with her peers as she is ‘up’ on the latest
trends. When she was younger she used to tease her friends who were
in guiding, and now that she is older she still can’t see what’s so fun
about guiding – it seems so old-fashioned!
Alina has never thought about volunteering before.
• What are the benefits of volunteering for Alina?
• What kind of role might appeal to her?
• How might you recruit her?!
Diane is a nurse at the local hospital. She is married to another nurse
and both of them work full time. They have a son aged 12 and a
daughter aged seven. Diane’s parents help with childcare when the
children are not at school. Diane works shifts and finds it hard to
commit to anything.
Diane’s daughter has started Brownies. A letter was sent out by the
Unit Leader asking for help, as the unit is desperate for volunteers. Her
daughter has also been pestering her. She feels under pressure to
respond.
• What are the benefits of volunteering for Diane?
• What kind of role might appeal to her?
• How might you recruit her?
Nicola
is a 40-year-old businesswoman and single mother of two
teenage boys. She started up her very successful online lingerie
business from scratch ten years ago and donates some of the profits to
local charitable projects. She is well known in the community and is
often in the local newspapers and on the radio talking about her
business and charitable ventures.
Nicola is often contacted by local charities asking for financial support,
and while she is happy to make donations she feels she has more to
offer. She just isn’t sure how she could fit volunteering around her
work and media commitments.
• What are the benefits of volunteering for Nicola?
• What kind of role might appeal to her?
• How might you recruit her?
Karen
is a 45-year-old part-time helper at a local community centre
on the estate where she lives. People call it a ‘deprived area’ and it
has a bad reputation, but to Karen it’s home. She is married and has
one adult daughter who still lives at home because she has a physical
disability and requires care. Karen gets help from family and carers
from an agency.
Karen was in Brownies when she was a child and remembers the time
fondly. There are no guiding units on the estate where she lives and she
would like to set one up at the community centre. She has already
approached the Division to ask but nothing has come of it.
• What are the benefits of volunteering for Karen?
• What kind of role might appeal to her?
• How might you recruit her?
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 127
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 127
Appendix L: Using role descriptions – Example of a persona
About Ruby What strengths does
Girlgiuding need?
Her skills Time she can give Her experience
•
Just started her job as a
social worker in London.
•
Lives in Peckham.
•
Has never been a guiding
member, but has been
volunteering occasionally
at a Rainbow unit in
Peckham.
•
Enjoys: sports, exploring
London, taking part in
annual charity hikes.
• Hates: double standards in
the media, inequality,
coffee.
•
Ruby’s willingness
to learn and always
taking on new
challenges.
•
Ability to manage
her time.
•
Good
communication
skills.
•
Understanding of
the needs of young
people.
•
Ability to motivate
and empower
others.!
•
Excellent
communication and
interpersonal skills.
•
Strong emotional
intelligence.
•
Ability to deal with
difficult and complex
situations.
•
Problem solving.
•
Team player.
• Skilled rugby player.
•
Is free once a
week on weekday
evenings – 4pm
onwards.
•
Occasional
weekends
available.
•
3 years’ experience as a
volunteer mentor with
vulnerable young people.
•
2 years’ youth work
experience.
•
12 months as a ChildLine
counsellor.
•
Raleigh international
expedition leader (Tanzania) –
4-month placement.
•
1st year as a social worker.
•
Occasional Helper at a
Rainbow unit (10 months).
Ruby
26
Social worker
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 128
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 128
Appendix M: Just one more girl
• My unit is full; I don’t have room for one more.
• I’ve tried everything but my unit is still not full.
• I’ve been successful in recruiting one more girl.
• I don’t know how to recruit more girls.
• My unit has a huge waiting-to-join list but I don’t have room to take them in.
• I’ve challenged the girls to bring a friend.
• I have a full unit, and share those who are waiting to join with another unit.
• I don’t have time to recruit more girls.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 129
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 129
Appendix N: New volunteer’s journey – Flow chart
Unit Leader is
hard to get
hold of; after
numerous
calls,
volunteer is
told about
roles available
in her unit
Commissioner
puts volunteer
in contact
with a Unit
Leader
Commissioner
arranges a
meeting in
person or over
the phone to
explore their
options
Commissioner sounds hesitant
about taking on another new
volunteer, is unsure which units
have space and cannot
guarantee the volunteer an
opportunity in a unit near them
Commissioner
welcomes and
thanks volunteer
for choosing to
volunteer for
Girlguiding
Unit Leader calls volunteer within a week
and is delighted to have her on board.
She explains how Girlguiding works and
what to expect on her first visit
Volunteer
makes a
visit to a
unit
Volunteer feels out of her depth and a
bit lost about what to do at the unit visit
Volunteer
is given a
breakdown
of the
activities
at the unit
and roles
to
undertake
during the
visit
Volunteer
takes up the
Leadership
Qualification
Volunteer
enjoys
experience
as helper
Volunteer’s criminal
record checks are
processed
Volunteer does not enjoy
their experience and has said
that they will be in contact.
Volunteer has made no
further contact to date
Volunteer takes up opportunity as
a Unit Helper
Volunteer is allocated a
mentor who supports her to
complete Leadership
Qualification
Volunteer makes her
Promise upon completing
the Leadership
qualification
Volunteer
becomes a
Leader
Visits
Girlguiding’s
website
Fills in their
details on
Join Us
Information sits on Join Us for over three months with no contact
Receives contact within 21 days from a local Commissioner
Sees a tweet about
volunteering at
Girlguiding
Girls and existing volunteers all welcome
new volunteer
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 130
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 130
Appendix O: Moments of truth
Action plan
Moment of truth
What might go wrong?
Action to prevent this
Local or national action?
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 131
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 131
Appendix P: Back-to-back drawing
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 132
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 132
Appendix Q: Volunteer checklist
To be carried out by the unit
Support provided
❏ Directions to the unit meeting place
❏ Tour of the premises
❏ Introductions to other volunteers
❏ Introductions to the girls
❏ Provide ongoing support
❏ An explanation of how the areas work
❏ Explanation of what a District meeting is and why it’s important
❏ An explanation of guiding terminology
❏ A thank-you note or telephone call to find out how the first meeting went
❏ A thank-you note at the end of the year
Additional items
❏
❏
❏
To be carried out at Commissioner level
Support provided
❏ Role description
❏ Welcome letter
❏ Introductions to other volunteers
❏ A person to partner them and check they are okay
❏ A list of local names and contact numbers
❏ Dates of District meetings
❏ Invitation to the next District meeting with direction and travel options
❏ A brief history of guiding
❏ An explanation of how Girlguiding works
❏ An explanation of Girlguiding’s policies and code of conduct for volunteers
❏
An informal discussion at the end of four weeks to give feedback/get their views
❏ A meeting at the end of 12 months to review their role and give/receive
feedback
Additional items
❏
❏
❏
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 133
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 133
Appendix R: Welcome event case study
Top tips for welcome events
Running ‘welcome’ events for potential and new volunteers is a great way of introducing
people to Girlguiding. In the Midlands Region, welcome events have helped promote the
opportunity to volunteer in new Girlguiding groups. These groups are based in communities
where there are currently no or few groups.
London and South East England Region (LaSER) has run events for Join Us volunteers to ensure
all volunteers meet in their local area early on, and understand the opportunities available.
Existing members can also find out a bit more about new volunteers’ skills and why they want
to get involved.
Things to consider
• How you run your event and how much you cover really depends on the needs of your
local area and volunteers. A coffee morning at a school or a fun family activity might
be a great way to have an initial chat with people about Girlguiding and volunteering.
• Publicise and run volunteer recruitment activities in the weeks leading up to your
event. This could be shared between Unit Teams and local support roles. Tweet your
local volunteer centres, post an advert online on community forums, put up posters at
the venue, or send letters out to parents and schools.
• Some areas have invited young people along to speak about the impact Girlguiding has
had on their life. Alternatively, you could show one of a range of Girlguiding videos
from our YouTube channel (www.girlguiding.org.uk/about_us/videos.aspx) or put
together a local video or photo album to show at volunteer events.
• Have a large-scale map showing local units and plans for new units, and a list of units
and current volunteers so you know where new volunteers are needed.
• Give out Girlguiding resources and leaflets for each section.
• Provide copies of training books and leaflets for both young and adult Leaders – such as
1st Response, GOLD leaflets, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award leaflets, the Leadership
Qualification – for volunteers to look at or take away. You can download useful
resources from Girlguiding’s online resource library.
• You could invite current volunteers to share their experiences of running units, as well
as wider-support volunteers and Trefoil Guild members.
• I’d recommend asking people to sign up so you know roughly how many people are
coming along to your event. It is also useful to find out if volunteers know of Girlguiding
before the event.
• You could run fun icebreakers and activities. For example, Haringey Division used
‘People Bingo’ as an icebreaker at the start of their event, while Tower Hamlets
Division used a pairs game to introduce potential volunteers to the different roles and
ways to volunteer with Girlguiding.
‘It was fun. I got to know
more about Girlguiding and
would like to be part of it.’
New volunteer, Tower Hamlets
Welcome Event
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 134
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 134
Appendix S: Pressure facing young people
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 135
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 135
Appendix T: Role jigsaw
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 136
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 136
Appendix U: Changing factors
Case study 1
Melissa has been in guiding since Rainbows; she is 22 years old and a member of
The Senior Section. Melissa first joined guiding because all her friends were part of
it, but they all soon left. Melissa stayed because she loved all the baking and craft
making. She didn’t enjoy the outdoor activities as she felt she was never good at
these. But as Melissa moved up the sections, her new friends and her Leaders all
encouraged her to try new things and experience more adventure. Melissa has
gained so many amazing memories. Since joining The Senior Section she has had
the opportunity to travel around the world, last year she was a reporter at the Big
Gig and met all the celebrities performing. Melissa has had the chance to grow in
confidence and experience new things.
Case study 2
Kayla is 12 and has just joined Guides. She was scared to leave her friends behind,
but when asked why she loves Guides she said that she has made lots of new
friends. She also expresses her excitement at attending Guides every week because
‘We do so much fun and cool stuff, last week we went to a mechanic and got to
help put tyres on a car’. Kayla is a Patrol Leader and enjoys being in charge of her
group. Kayla is shocked that the older girls listen to her and is really happy that
lots of her ideas have been taken on board.
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 137
Membership Growth Trainers Toolkit 137
Appendix V: Unit health check
Care for the
individual
Encouraged to
govern themselves
and make their own
decisions
Work together in
small groups
Share a
commitment to a
common standard
A balanced and
varied programme
•
I am in regular
contact with all the
Leaders in my District
(or, for
Division/County
Commissioners, with
all the Commissioners
in my area).
•
In each unit, both the
youngest and the
oldest girls feel
equally stretched by
the programme on
offer.
•
All units adapt the
programme to ensure
that it accommodates
the needs of all girls
in the unit, regardless
of their ability.
•
All units include at
least an element of
choice for girls in
their meetings.
•
All units involve girls
in the planning of any
camp or holiday
programme.
•
There are
opportunities for girls
in my District or
Division to contribute
to planning of events
beyond their unit (ie
District, Division or
County events).
•
All girls are
encouraged to work
together in groups
appropriate to the
programme for their
section and the
activity being
undertaken.
•
The Patrol or Six
system is working well
(in relevant sections).
•
When I come into
contact with units in
my area, I can see
evidence of the values
encapsulated in the
Promise being put
into action.
•
Girls are encouraged
to think about what
the Promise means to
them and to make the
Promise when they
feel ready.
•
All girls have an
opportunity to take
part in a residential
experience at least
once a year.
•
All units make use of
the Girlguiding
programme resources
relevant to them.
•
No unit offers a
programme which is
focused entirely on
one aspect of the
programme (eg
entirely on outdoor
activities or craft).
Membership Growth Trainers’ Toolkit 138
Appendix W: Recognition match-up
•
Rebecca is a Young Leader. She has been working in your unit for over a year, has attended every
unit meeting and event you have done and has never let you down.
• Mylee is a university student and has been supporting six units in your District by teaching
photography skills. She has run six workshops and attended a number of unit meetings to help the
girls finish their project.
• Flavia is a mother of three children who all attend your units. She has stepped in every time you
have had a volunteer shortage. At the annual fundraiser she bakes and cooks all the food sold,
bringing in the most profit. She helped make costumes for the unit’s Christmas panto. This year
she has also taken on the role of unit accountant and has started to help your unit to manage your
money better.
• Ally stepped in at the last minute to be the District Commissioner and has taken on the role
alongside the three units she leads and Adviser role she holds. She has never complained about
taking on so much and has been outstanding in her role.
• Shan has been the County Adviser on membership growth for two years. She has organised a
number of networking events and weekend training events on this area. She has also successfully
run three recruitment campaigns and attended a number of university Freshers’ Week events.
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