A day in the life
…Of Karen, Archivist, Centenary, Commonwealth Headquarters
(CHQ)
There's no such thing as a 'normal' day in the life of an
archivist: you never know what is going to be asked of you.
The morning starts with a cup of coffee while reading the
emails to see what new historical enquiries have been received.
Enquiries can cover anything from the date a badge was issued, to
requests for information about camps, events or people. Sometimes
the enquiries can take all day, especially if there is a lot
research involved.
The Girlguiding UK archive collections, which are continually
being added to, contain historic papers, publications,
photographs, badges, uniforms and a whole array of other items from
tea-towels to china plates, all of which have to be cared for
and preserved.
…Of Emily, Activity Instructor, Waddow Hall
It had been raining last night so before our 9 to 5 shift starts
we had to check the water levels of the river. Unfortunately it's
too high to run kayaking so we have to offer the groups an
alternative.
At 9.30am I have the first activity challenge with a
school that is staying for the week. In just one hour I've helped
an eight-year-old girl overcome her fear of heights. During
the day there is another activity challenge and two archery
sessions. In the archery group there are a couple of girls who
remember me from last year, which is so great to hear!
In the evening we have a campfire. Kids (and adults) do some of
the funniest things when told to pretend to be underwater, be a
crazy moose, surf like an expert or cuddle a polar bear. Even the
ones who think they are too cool to join in are laughing
with you.
It's a great job and I wouldn't swap it for another one
(except maybe chocolate tasting).
…Of Chris, Project Coordinator, Guiding Development, CHQ
A day in the life of a project coordinator can be very
challenging. My main job is to work on the Guide section,
which is for girls aged 10 to 14. Part of the Guide
programme are the Go for Its! These are packs of
activities based on different themes such as construction,
chocolate and space. I ensure that we have two of these a
year, one of which goes out in guiding magazine and the
other is sold through our Trading Service.
In some instances we work with outside partners who sponsor the
Go for It! Each Go for It!
is written by a group of volunteers and then I organise for them to
be tested by the Guides. Each testing takes place in a
different Girlguiding Region and we can have anything from 25 to
1,200 Guides over a weekend or a day.
My job gives me the chance to work with different departments
such as Editorial, Public relations, the Design studio, the Web
team, the Magazine team, Trading Services and the Training and
Activity Centres.
...Of Hannah, Web Editor, Marketing and Communications,
CHQ
Marketing and Communications is probably the most
creative department at Girlguiding UK, a mixture of designers,
illustrators, writers and PR bods. The best thing about working in
such a creative environment is that when you're lacking in
inspiration, there are always plenty of people willing to help
out.
As with many other roles in Girlguiding UK, my job varies day to
day. One day I could spend all day helping members upgrade their
website accounts and the next I could be interviewing the Sugababes
at the BIG GIG!
I enjoy working on the girls' websites the most. I love creating
content for Rainbows and Brownies websites and getting their
feedback. The highlight of my job has to be reading children's
books before we review them on the Brownies website for the book
club. The looks I get in the morning on the train when I have my
head buried in the latest novel by Dick King-Smith are
priceless!
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