Silver Fish award

The Silver Fish award recognises what a member has achieved across the breadth of Girlguiding.

This is Girlguiding's highest honour so only a few awards are given each year. Girlguiding members can nominate exceptional volunteers for a Silver Fish award by submitting an application.

Who can get a Silver Fish award?

The application should reflect the nominee's exceptional service, across a wide range of levels in Girlguiding. Nominees should have:

• Held a range of roles in guiding at district, division and county levels and beyond. Many applicants will have held national roles or have international guiding experience, but it’s not essential.
• Demonstrated excellent leadership skills and made significant contributions as a team member and leader.
• Made a significant contribution to supporting, motivating, nurturing and developing guiding for both young members and adults. This should be over a range of roles. Please give examples of projects or events that show this.
• Be an outstanding and exceptionally high achiever who’s always ready to take on a challenge. They’re someone who makes things happen, and who inspires and motivates people.
• Demonstrate that they have a clear understanding of the place of Girlguiding within WAGGGS and the world. They will have shared this with other members, to increase and strengthen guiding relationships across the global community.

Submitting an application

An application:

• Must be submitted without the knowledge of the nominee or their family.
• Must include a fully completed awards nomination form (PDF, 683KB).
• Must include a copy of the member’s guiding history report.
• Must have up to 8 letters of support. Try to make sure the letters aren’t repetitive and cover different aspects of the nominee’s service. The letters should mention the supporter's role or position.
• Add a cover sheet to the application, which explains how each letter of support reflects an aspect of the nominee's work.

Applications can also include a video, voice note or any other creative way you can think to share their achievements.

Writing the application

Consider the following when you write your application:

• What makes them stand out from other leaders?
• What roles does the nominee hold?
• Is the nominee an advisor or commissioner at county level or beyond?
• Is this person an active member of Girlguiding who is involved in current initiatives and continues to be an inspirational leader?
• What has been their continuing impact on young people and on other leaders? Can you give examples?
• Describe the nominee's personal attributes and what their impact is. What is it about that person that makes them stand out?
• And finally, try to bring the nominee to life with your description, so that the committee members can feel why they should be given the award.

A national award of a Laurel and Silver Fish will demonstrate impact beyond the local level. If your application includes information relating to a place of interest within guiding, for example, a local campsite or a region building, please give extra information. This will help the committee to fully understand the impact the nominee has had.

Letters of support

The awards committee bases its decision on the letters of support. They should:

• Be no more than 2 sides of A4 long.
• Explain how long the nominee has been known to the person writing the letter, and how they know them.
• Describe their personal attributes and what makes them stand out from others. Try to give examples to build up a picture describing their special character and personality.
• Describe their guiding service, giving examples of outstanding achievements.
• Describe their influence on others, such as leadership skills, innovative ideas, inspirational work and reflections from young members.
• Describe any specific events or projects where the nominee has made an outstanding contribution.
• Include facts and statistics, where possible.
• Describe any other aspects of the nominee’s guiding life that are relevant to this award.

The application process

An application for this award may be started by any member of Girlguiding, but your nomination needs to be discussed with the relevant commissioner.

Please submit your completed Silver fish award application (PDF, 683KB) to your county commissioner. Your county commissioner will then share your application with the county awards committee and/or the region awards committee who will make the final decision.

The Girlguiding awards committee usually meets twice a year, in spring and autumn.

Need help?

If you have any questions, get in touch with us at [email protected].