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Anglia region growth and insight 

What is Girlguiding Anglia? 

Girlguiding Anglia is 1 of 12 countries and regions making up Girlguiding in the UK. We support 12 counties who in turn support guiding in their local area. 

Countries and regions all have their own volunteer chief commissioners supported by trustee boards and various specialist committees as required. Strategic focus and activities are planned, based on the needs of the counties that make up the area. County commissioners are pivotal in deciding the work of countries and regions within the framework set by the national organisation. 

 Find out more about our strategic aims, impact and how we spend our allocation of annual subscriptions at Girlguiding-anglia.org.uk/about-us/our-impact. 

 

The team 

At Girlguiding Anglia we have team members who can help you with your queries, as well as lead volunteers who can offer support and guidance. To get in touch, email member.support@girlguiding-anglia.org.uk or call 01603 737357 option 4, and we will put in contact with a relevant team member. 

Regular activities 

These are the things we do regularly to support leader welcome and retention. These are designed by volunteers and sent out by the staff team in the Anglia region office, you don’t need to do anything. We wanted to make you aware of what is happening so you can answer questions locally if needed. 

New enquirer welcome emails 

When any adult enquires to volunteer, we will send them an email within 7 days to welcome them to Girlguiding and explain that they will be contacted by a local commissioner, unit leader or enquiry coordinator. This email gives a link to the Girlguiding welcome video and explains the training and support that will be available to them through the learning platform. 

1- and 3- year award badges 

Anglia region celebrates the 1- and 3- year service milestones of volunteers by sending a badge and certificate. Research shows that there can be a drop-off at 2-3 years of service and the feedback is that it is a long time to wait for the national 5-year service award. So, these are designed to help retain our newer volunteers. These only go out to those who hold an active role on GO and if you believe someone has been missed, please contact the member support inbox. 

Newly qualified leader thank you 

A thank you leaflet is sent to all those who complete the leadership development programme. This goes approximately 6 months after this is marked as completed on GO. 

Young leaders 

To support you in encouraging young leaders to explore the opportunities available to them inside and outside their unit a leaflet and badge are sent to them when they reach their 16th birthday. This happens every three months but will only go to those with an active role, not those who are active pending. 

There are also leaflets available to use for the induction of new young leaders and young external volunteers. These are available in hard copy from your county teams. Please contact the member support team if you need to be put in contact with your relevant county support person. 

Thanks and recognition 

As well as the good service and thank you award available to purchase there are various county, regional and national awards that members can be nominated to receive. 

To find out more visit the awards and recognition area of our website. 

Commissioner welcome mailout 

Every three months a welcome email is sent to all those appointed as commissioners at district, division or county level. The aim is to ensure you are aware of the training and support available and where to find details, so you feel confident and fulfilled in your role. 

Growth and sustainability working group 

Made up of 1 or 2 representatives from each county’s executive team, the primary aim of this group is to guide the work of the region membership support team and represent the needs of local leaders. 

To support the delivery of Anglia’s growth action plan the working group: 

  • Confirm the short, medium and long-term priorities and actions 
  • Identify and cascade models to support growth and development activity 
  • Prioritise resources required ensuring they are focused on the priorities 
  • Identify support and opportunities available from HQ and region 
  • Use nationally available resources to help identify areas for growth and retention 
  • Use data benchmarking, measure success, celebrate achievements and cascade information 
  • Support the delivery of development sessions to underpin growth and sustainability

There is a representative from each county in the region in the working group. If you’d like to contact your local representative you can use the directory on GO or contact us and we’ll put you in touch. 

Training for you 

In addition to the commissioner induction sessions, Girlguiding Anglia region offers training on the 4 steps to recruitment success. The purpose of the training is: 

  • To improve the skills of those attending so that we can recruit and welcome more new volunteers effectively. 
  • To increase the membership numbers by increasing the numbers of volunteers, which will then allow more girl spaces to be available, so increasing girl membership numbers. 
  • To reduce the number of enquiries that are not dealt with promptly and effectively. 

Usually held in the spring and autumn with a mixture of face-to-face and online options check the events section of our website for the most up-to-date dates and booking details. 

Find more resources on the commissioner support webpage