Having a public presence
Being visible in your area
Commissioners are often the ‘face’ of guiding in their area.
It is important to visit local events and celebrate the good guiding that is happening. You might be invited to wider community events to represent Girlguiding. These events are all opportunities to promote guiding in your area – and they could even be a chance to recruit new volunteers. Remember that you’ll be acting as an ambassador for Girlguiding.
The communications and PR roles in your team can help you get ready to promote guiding locally.
Visiting events
If you’re heading to an event, take some time to prepare by thinking about these points:
What is the event? It could be…
- A training session
- A county celebration
- A local volunteer recruitment fair
- A meeting with other youth providers in your area
Who’s attending?
If you’ve been asked to make a speech, then you’ll need to know if you’re talking to Rainbows or if you’re talking to adult volunteers, so you can make sure it’s suitable. Adapt your speech to the audience and the context of the event.
Where is it?
You’ll need to dress differently for different locations, for example:
- A hall
- A campsite
- A local business
- A village green event
What are you expected to do?
Are you expected to give practical support, make a short speech or will you be networking with people from your community?
Being proactive
Don’t be afraid to get in touch with organisations to ask if you or other guiding members can attend their events. Keep an eye on the local calendars, noting down any events that need volunteers to help. Often you’ll be allowed to bring volunteer recruitment materials with you. Remember to:
- Always be enthusiastic at these events and encourage your team to do the same.
- Always use up to date marketing and recruitment materials.
- Keep a list of events that Girlguiding has attended. This can show where you have successfully recruited new members.
- Contact your marketing and communications adviser for more help in promoting guiding at local events.
