What is Guiding?
Guiding gives your daughters a safe place to realise their ideas, their dreams, their goals. It gives them an opportunity to pursue them - without having to justify why. They can be whoever they want to be, do whatever they want to do, and go wherever they want to go!
There is no judging. There is no agenda. Your girls get to be girls, however they choose, from every background and every ability.
Guiding is family. A family that spans 146 countries. A family of 10 million sisters!
Who are Stanground Guiding?
We are mothers, daughters, sisters, wives. We go to work, do the laundry, the washing up, the ironing. We are neighbours, friends, colleagues - just normal people, the same as you.
We are not experts. We are not paid. We are not superhuman. And we most definitely are not perfect.
We are Guiders. And we love it!
We volunteer our time each week to help your girls through one of the major stages of their lives - Growing Up!
We not only give our time each week during the girls' meetings, but also take the time to plan each exciting, new activity and the programmes that we do with your daughters.
We attend leadership training, first aid training, safe space training and programme training. But our most important teachers are the girls themselves!
They teach us to view the world from a different angle. They see things that we as grown ups' just dismiss as 'nothing special'. For them, most of the things they are seeing, they are seeing for the first time! They still have that awe, that wonder, and that eagerness about the world that seems to get lost when you enter adulthood...
They have ideas that we could never have thought of in a million years! They have dreams that we never could have dreamed, and goals so inspiring that you want to achieve it with them!
Our Family
1st Oakdale Rainbows (aged 5-7)
Rainbows is all about developing self confidence, building friendships, learning new things, and having fun! Rainbows learn through doing and playing!
The Rainbow programme centres around the four areas:
Look - Looking around at the environment and their community, understanding the wider world.
Learn - Taking part in a wide variety of activities, trying out different crafts and recipes, visiting new places and meeting new people.
Laugh - Having FUN! Making a mess, having sleepovers, singing songs, and celebrating!
Love - Caring about friend and family, working together, and being kind and helpful!
2nd Southfields Brownies (aged 7-10)
Brownies opens up a world of exciting adventures and challenges, giving girls the opportunity to try new things and make brilliant friends!
Brownies work in groups called 'Sixes', and follow a programme called the Brownie Adventure! This centres around three areas:
You - Developing confidence and self esteem, building friendships and learning to share, developing decision making skills and choosing their own activities!
Community - Encouraging citizenship and understanding their role in the community, visiting interesting places!
World - Learning about the wider world, finding out about things like endangered animals, climate change and new cultures!
1st Stanground Guides (aged 10-14)
Guides is about having the chance to explore their individual skills and abilities, trying new challenges, and working as a team.
Guides work in small groups called 'Patrols' as well as in larger groups and individually. The Guide programme centres around five areas:
Discovery - Challenging the girls with new adventures and experiences, visiting new places and learning new skills.
Healthy Lifestyle - Encouraging physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, looking at body image, smoking, drug awareness, mental health and exercise.
Global Awareness - Increasing awareness of global issues including travel, the environment, world issues and international activities.
Skills and Relationships - Developing self-confidence and self-worth, and improving their interpersonal and teamwork skills, communication and conflict resolution.
Celebrating Diversity - Promoting active citizenship and looking at discrimination, disability awareness and gender stereotypes.
1st Oakdale Senior Section (aged 14-25)
Senior Section offers girls the opportunity to develop their skills and abilities through a flexible and inspiring programme!
The Senior Section's Look Wider programme centres around the eight octants:
Community Action
Creativity
Fit for Life
Independent Living
International
Leadership
Out of Doors
Personal Values
Senior Section members also have the opportunity to work towards recognised Qualifications and Awards with the support of Guiding, including the Commonwealth, Duke of Edinburgh and Queen's Guide Awards, Leadership Qualifications, and Camp and Holiday licenses!