Thank you for volunteering for Girlguiding Surrey West.
This welcome section is designed to give you an overview of Girlguiding in Surrey West and to act as a handy reference guide.
By way of an introduction, I am Sarah Ings, County Commissioner (Lead Volunteer) for Girlguiding Surrey West. I hope to meet you soon at a county or local event – I am always delighted to be invited to visit units.
If you have any queries, I can be contacted at: Sa*****@******rg.uk or on 0796 806 9586.
Best wishes,
Sarah
About Girlguiding Surrey West
Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK. Girlguiding is split into Countries and Regions.
We are the largest county in the Girlguiding London and South East England Region
We have over 7,500 members across 11 Divisions which are split into Districts.
Each District and Division has a commissioner or commissioner team who are responsible for supporting volunteers in the local area.
The 11 Divisions within Surrey West
Vision & strategy
Our vision is for our County to be a diverse, supportive and connected community that offers exceptional experiences to girls and young women. Our membership will be empowered and inclusive and we will be a leading organisation for girls, young women and volunteers in Surrey West.
This mission is aligned with the vision of Girlguiding London and South East England.
We bring this vision to life through four strategic priorities:
- Exceptional experiences for girls
- Rewarding volunteer experience
- Inclusive and impactful
- Sustainable organisation
You can read our county plan here:
Information & communication
Snippets
Our monthly newsletter usually arrives on the first Friday on the month. It contains lots of information about upcoming events, training opportunities and campsite news. In order to receive this you will need to make sure you have elected to receive emails within your marketing preferences in GO or sign up on the County news page.
Our county calendar is where you can see and book upcoming events and training
Our county shop which has a variety of challenge badges for sale.
For Facebook users we have a volunteers facebook group that you may wish to join
Our campsites & residential centres
In Surrey West we are lucky to have two residential properties in the county
Herons Wey is a 52 acre campsite in Tilford, Farnham. It has a residential building called Weyside which can sleep up to 30 people (24 young people and 6 adults). There are also 7 large camping areas all with toilets and electricity. There lots of onsite activities including Archery provided by our team of Archery volunteers.
Paxmead, our riverside base located in Shepperton. This is a smaller site, with a residential house sleeping up to 30 (24 young people and 6 adults). Groups can sleep additional people camping in the grounds. We also have a team of volunteer instructors who offer paddlesport opportunities and training from Paxmead.
Opportunities and skills for Girlguiding Surrey West county
Would you like to get involved at county level?
In Surrey West we are able to provide support and events due to the dedication of our volunteers. We are always looking for more people to join our county team.
You can see a list of our current county vacancies or if you have a specific skill or interest that you think would be useful for Surrey West please drop Sarah Ings, County Commissioner a note at sa*****@******rg.uk
Helpful contacts
County office team
County Advisers
We have a variety of Advisers to provide support and guidance on a variety of topics including Residential, International, Training, Inclusion, Duke of Edinburgh, Walking and Young Leaders. Details of all our County Advisers can be found on our website.
Jargon buster
CC – County Commissioner, the Lead Volunteer for the county.
DBS – Disclosure & Barring Service (criminal record check)
D of E – Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
DC – District Commissioner, lead volunteer for local area
Div Com – Division Commissioner lead volunteer for a few Districts
Gift Aid – Government scheme that allows charities to reclaim tax on donations including subscriptions!
GO – Guiding Organiser database
HQ – Headquarters; where Girlguiding UK’s administrative office is situated.
LDP – Leadership Development Programme
Rangers – The section for those aged 14 to 18
Safer Guiding – Girlguiding’s policy and training for safeguarding the welfare of children & young people in their care
SSAGO – Student Scout and Guide Organisation
Subscription – Girlguiding annual membership payment
Unit – a group of Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers, Young Leaders and their Leaders
WAGGGS – World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts
YLDP – Young Leader Development Programme