Showing the benefits of volunteering

Tell your new and existing volunteers what Girlguiding can offer them so they can plan their progress and development

Showing the benefits of guiding helps us attract new volunteers. 

Find - and keep - skilled and happy volunteers by linking their roles at Girlguiding with their wider experiences. 

  • Bring in more new volunteers - make sure all potential volunteers understand how volunteering with us relates to their interests and aspirations. When people know what great things Girlguiding has to offer them personally, they'll be more likely to join us.
  • Help make sure current volunteers stay - volunteers who’ve been with us for a while may not know everything that Girlguiding now offers them or will in the future. Explain how their roles and responsibilities can evolve over time to match their priorities and help them stay with us for longer.

The benefits of existing expertise 

Every new volunteer brings an interest or skill to Girlguiding when they join. 

Find out what someone new can add to your team and then ask them to put it to use in your unit straight away. They will gain confidence from feeling useful in their first few weeks. 

Tell volunteers how much their skills are improving the experiences of girls in your unit. Remind volunteers that they are benefiting too by showing them the skills they are developing in a new context. 

You might find that asking someone to offer their skills on an occasional basis to begin with will give them enough confidence to take up a longer-term volunteer role later. Even occasionally lending skills can have a great impact on girls’ lives! 

The benefits of new skills 

Learning new skills is an important part of volunteering with us. Take time to talk to volunteers about the personal development opportunities that come with different roles in guiding. 

  • Teamwork - working in a team with other volunteers is essential to make guiding happen. Volunteers in all roles work together, from planning local meetings to joining with other units.
  • Leadership - our volunteers are trained to lead others. This includes volunteer management and coordinating local guiding activities.
  • Organisation - programme and event planning teaches skills from time management to budgeting.
  • Communication - working with people at all levels develops confidence and communication skills. Volunteers also learn about negotiating and giving presentations.
  • Specialist skills - from training and mentoring other volunteers, to fundraising experience and working with partners.

Highlighting volunteering skills that are transferable to other contexts is especially useful for people returning to work, applying to university or looking for personal development opportunities. 

Take a look at the Guiding for Your CV leaflet to make sure you know how to highlight the benefits of guiding in different settings.  

Look through our volunteer role descriptions to identify more roles and skills that suit your new and current volunteers.  

Introduce training straight away 

Learning and development is a huge benefit of volunteering with Girlguiding. All our volunteers get access to fantastic free training opportunities designed to develop skills which can be used in all walks of life. Start new volunteers on their personal development journey by signposting them to appropriate training opportunities as soon as you can. Think about what suits them best, such as an outdoor qualification for someone active or the leader development programme if someone is hoping to advance their career.  

New friends and fun activities 

We all know that guiding isn't just about adding skills to your CV. It's a chance to meet a new group of friends, see new places and do some extraordinary things. Share your own experiences with volunteers to show they can inspire and be be inspired by the girls they interact with. 

Travel in the UK and internationally 

Girlguiding is a global movement so there are opportunities to travel both in the UK and abroad. Find out what's on offer in each country and region from their local websites, and look at other international adventures, such as GOLD (Guiding Overseas Linked with Development).