Hannah Farley

How long have you been in Girlguiding?

I joined Guiding as a tiny Rainbow and haven’t really left since – I took a couple of years out when I started university and my schedule changed, but missed it so much that I got back involved with a local Guide unit in my 3rd year. I’m an assistant leader with this unit now, and am also a Ranger and Rainbow leader.

Describe your journey leading up to your role:

I first found out about Peer Education when I came back from a GOLD project in Rwanda in 2017. At our debrief, we were talking about how we could give back to Girlguiding after our experiences. I asked around in County to see what was happening with Peer Education and wound up becoming the Peer Education Coordinator. Whilst I was in role, we had three peer educators go through basic training and start to deliver sessions. When the opportunity to continue spreading the peer ed joy at a Region level came up I jumped at the chance!

Anything that stands out, proud achievements?

My proudest achievement in Guiding has been being Region lead volunteer for the Action for Change project that ran a few years ago. It’s really shaped my approach to volunteering roles – I love working directly with the girls and would quite happily spend a long time finger painting with my Rainbows, but I also know that I get a lot out of the challenge of running larger projects, particularly around training and social action, that have the potential to reach even more young people.

What do you enjoy the most in your role?

I enjoy seeing young women become confident advocates for themselves and their peers. I’m also a final year medical student and am looking to become a pediatrician, so helping young people advocate for themselves is something very close to my heart.