Latest news with #GirlguidingScotland
Scotsman
26-06-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Girlguiding Scotland volunteers from across Edinburgh attend celebration evemt
Girlguiding Scotland volunteers from Edinburgh were invited along to a celebratory event held to recognise their commitment to guiding. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Nominees turned out from right across Scotland to attend the Girlguiding Scotland Celebrates event in Edinburgh. Attendees were nominated across three categories; supporter, changemaker and role model. The prestigious event took place on Saturday, June 14 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh and honoured Girlguiding Scotland volunteers who were nominated for their contribution to guiding. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The unforgettable event seen attendees enjoy a special afternoon tea with a musical accompaniment at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa, as well as hear from Girlguiding UK's deputy chief guide and adventurer, Sally Kettle. Girlguiding Scotland volunteers at Girlguiding Scotland Celebrates event held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh on 14 June. Carol Milne, a volunteer for Edinburgh county, said: "It was lovely to be invited to Girlguiding Scotland Celebrates and receive recognition and thanks. 'The commissioner role can be challenging so this acknowledgement was much appreciated. 'It was a very pleasant afternoon in good company. The afternoon tea was delicious.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Denise Spence, chief executive of Girlguiding Scotland, said: 'The Girlguiding Scotland Celebrates event was a special way for us to say thank you to our brilliant volunteers and show our appreciation for their dedication, passion and positivity. 'Our organisation is powered by volunteers and without them, Girlguiding Scotland would not be able to continue to provide lifechanging experiences and opportunities to our almost 40,000 young members.'
Daily Record
23-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Lanarkshire volunteers invited to Girlguiding Scotland Celebrates event honouring their commitment
Attendees were nominated across three categories; supporter, changemaker and role model. Girlguiding Scotland volunteers from Lanarkshire were invited along to a celebratory event held to recognise their commitment. Nominees turned out from right across Scotland to attend the Girlguiding Scotland Celebrates event at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh. Attendees were nominated across three categories; supporter, changemaker and role model. The prestigious event saw attendees enjoy a special afternoon tea with a musical accompaniment, as well as hear from Girlguiding UK's deputy chief guide and adventurer, Sally Kettle. Lynne Abraham, a volunteer from Lanarkshire, said: "I was so honoured and happy to be nominated to attend the amazing Girlguiding Scotland Celebrates event. "It was such an uplifting day filled with inspiring speakers, new friendships and memories I'll never forget." Denise Spence, chief executive of Girlguiding Scotland, added: "The Girlguiding Scotland Celebrates event was a special way for us to say thank you to our brilliant volunteers and show our appreciation for their dedication, passion and positivity. "Our organisation is powered by volunteers and without them, Girlguiding Scotland would not be able to continue to provide lifechanging experiences and opportunities to our almost 40,000 young members." *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Daily Record
18-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Funding support for Ayrshire girl guide group after 'devastating' blaze
An Ayrshire Guide unit is being supported by a Scottish Government-funded programme after their meeting venue suffered a fire. Hurlford Church, where 1st Hulford Guides met weekly, caught fire on Friday, April 4. Four Scottish Fire and Rescue units were sent to tackle the fire affecting the roof of the venue. Scottish Fire and Rescue confirmed that there were no reported casualties. It was considered a "safe space" for the girls to meet, learn new skills and be themselves. The unit now meet at a different church, however it's much more expensive. Since the fire, the unit has been receiving support from Generation CashBack, a Scottish Government-funded scheme which aims to offer opportunities for disadvantaged young people. CashBack is delivered in partnership with Girlguiding Scotland, Boys' Brigade Scotland, Scouts Scotland and Youth Scotland. Unit leader Louise Crichton said: "Our venue has recently caught fire and we're unable to use it. We've been unable to go in and get our resources and we've not been able to meet in our meeting place. "The hall no longer has a roof, electricity or water, and we won't have the option of returning until at least next year. "Hurlford and Kilmarnock have a pretty severe antisocial behaviour problem. There have been situations with buses and the police are involved regularly, including maintaining a presence in Hurlford in the evening. "We can't meet outdoors due to antisocial behaviour, and during outdoor guiding we had to call the police to the park. Last year we went down to the local river and got rocks thrown at us. "The girls have grown up in the area so have grown to expect it. "[Guiding] is a safe place where they can be themselves and not have to deal with the antisocial kids. We have a few girls from different secondary schools so they're meeting friends outside of their immediate area. "They're also making friends of different ages which is making it easier for them to move up to high school." The unit has also made strides to become more girl-led, with Guides able to deliver their own meetings and choose the activities they do. Louise added: "This is an outcome from the last time we did Generation CashBack. "In the evaluation there was a question about 'would you like to improve your leadership skills' and almost all the girls ticked yes." Girlguiding Scotland's CashBack development officer Anna commented: "The CashBack project at Girlguiding Scotland aims to give girls safe spaces where they can do new things and have fun with friends. "The loss of their safe space will have been really scary for some of the girls in the unit, and we're pleased to be helping the unit to replace their lost belongings and keep a sense of consistency for the girls. It's amazing how quickly the volunteers have found a new meeting place and kept guiding going!" If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering with Girlguiding Scotland, visit here.
Daily Record
16-06-2025
- Daily Record
Hamilton Guides enjoy special adventures thanks to Generation Cashback funding
The 17th Hamilton members tackled a climbing wall, took to the water and visited New Lanark, Garrion Bridges and Girlguiding South Lanarkshire's residential site. Guides from Hamilton enjoyed a host of new adventures thanks to a funding boost – allowing them to try out new opportunities ranging from taking to the water to scaling a climbing wall. Members of the 17th Hamilton unit had a busy programme of activities arranged by their volunteer leaders thanks to the support of the Generation Cashback project, a Scottish Government-funded programme aiming to increase opportunities for young people living in areas of deprivation. The 'lifechanging' experiences for the Guides, aged 10 to 14, included hitting the heights as they reached the top of a climbing wall plus boarding a boat for the first time – as well as enjoying a camping weekend at Gowanpark, Girlguiding South Lanarkshire's residential activity centre near Crossford. During their residential, they visited New Lanark World Heritage Centre and enjoyed afternoon tea at Garrion Bridges – another first which none of the Guides had ever done before, and with the funding helping to ensure all members had the chance to participate. Unit leader Margaret Mitchell said: 'We're proud of giving girls different experiences that they can't get at home. We take them on adventures that they would never get to go on and we get so much out of seeing them do new things. 'Anything we get we use to enhance the girls' experience of Girlguiding and life. We want them to have memories for life.' The Hamilton unit was supported to undertake their adventure through the Generation CashBack project delivered by partners Girlguiding Scotland, Boys' Brigade Scotland, Scouts Scotland and Youth Scotland. Girlguiding Scotland Cashback development officer Anna Hannen Thomas said: 'The volunteers in this unit have shown how much they value the young people by creating a brilliant programme of activities for their weekend away. 'We're proud that Cashback was able to support this to happen and continues to support this unit to be a safe space for young people to push themselves and do amazing new things.' Visit for more details on volunteering with Girlguiding's units across Lanarkshire. And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Daily Record
Scots beauty queen who witnessed pals' abusive relationships fights to protect women
Grace McCabe, whose work for women's safety was recognised by the United Nations, will compete for the crown of Miss Great Britain Glasgow. A Scots beauty queen has pledged to use her pageant platform to help end gender-based violence after years of tireless campaigning that has seen her recognised by the United Nations. Grace McCabe, from Strathaven, is one of the finalists for Miss Great Britain Glasgow and will take to the stage at the Radstone Hotel in Larkhall on June 20. The 21-year-old, who competed in last year's Miss Scotland pageant, will battle contenders in a number of rounds, including ones in fashion wear, swimwear and evening wear. If successful, she'll compete at the 80th anniversary of the national Miss Great Britain finals on Friday October 17 at the Athena in Leicester. However, behind the pageantry, lies a determined criminal law graduate with the aim of making Scotland safer for women and girls. She told the Daily Record: "I went into pageantry in an unconventional way. Many people enter pageants and then think of what charity they are going to support. Whereas I have campaigning for the safety of women since I was 15 years old. "I've witnessed domestic violence first-hand and had close friends in abusive relationships. Women are being killed by their partners every single day. I couldn't sit back anymore. "I realised people in pageants were making a big impact by raising loads of money and awareness. I wanted to push myself and build my confidence but also make a bigger impact than I am just now. "I owe it to women to use this platform to fight for their safety. Whether I win or not, I'll never stop fighting. This is my life's mission." The Glasgow Caledonian University law graduate previously co-led the Own Our Zone campaign with Girlguiding Scotland, which called for safer public spaces and was backed in the Scottish Parliament with a motion of support. Grace continued: "When I became lead volunteer with Girlguiding Scotland, it was just after Sarah Everard had been murdered. We wanted to do something real to make streets safer through better lighting, safer toilets and planners taking women's needs seriously. The campaign launched and we got backing in the Scottish Parliament. It was incredible." The campaign also earned Grace a nomination as a Safe Spaces Now Champion by UN Women UK, where she was shortlisted in the top six out of over 300 nominees for actively working to combat sexual harassment in public spaces. "I was the youngest one there at 20 years old," she said. "I stood alongside women who had changed laws. It was surreal – especially when I think about being bullied at school for speaking out. "I had a strong sense of right and wrong from a young age, but being a girl, I was constantly shut down. Now, I've stuck to my guns and it's paid off because I am able to help other women." The pageant hopeful began supporting Women's Aid South Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire after witnessing the horror of abuse and the tragic outcome that can come from it. In November, she raised over £1,000 and donated five carloads of makeup, toiletries and other essentials to help women escaping domestic abuse. She added: "Quite often with femicide, when male partners kill their female partners, that is the first time they have laid hands on them. However, there are usually warning signs. I knew I had to give back to a charity which supported women leaving these horrible situations. "The thing with domestic violence and rape there is never any justification for it. It is an epidemic that isn't talked about enough. I have had friends who have gone through it. That's the reason I do criminal law. "If I am fortunate enough to win, I hope that the increased platform and reach will mean I am able to share resources about prevention work to a wider audience. "I intend to inspire other girls to work on this issue because everyone has to be involved for us to end gender-based violence." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
