Parent Helpers

Thank you for your interest, we appreciate a little extra help. Joining us for a particular meeting, trip, or event goes a long way to making our fun activities possible.

As a parent helper you can join us, up to twice per term, on an informal basis. Assist us in running our activities, help with crafts, share your skills, and find out first-hand how our unit meetings work.

Come along on an adventure, as we explore and discover, in regular unit meetings, in our community, on trips and at events.

Speak to the unit leader to start your own little Girlguiding journey.

Supporting a young member with additional needs? Register as an individual support unit helper, and complete the necessary recruitment and vetting checks for this role.

Getting started…

Here are some tips and pointers if you’d like to join us as a helper.

  • Make sure you have provided us with an extra emergency contact, in addition to your own contact details.

    It’s not just for children. We also need an emergency contact for adults attending.

    We want to keep you safe too, so when appropriate we need to know about any allergies, health or dietary needs, if an activity would pose a risk to you.

  • We tend to need different amounts of help at different times. For example, trips outside of our meeting place might require additional adults.

    So that we can plan ahead, please work out in advance the meetings, events and trips that you are available to attend, and let us know.

  • From time to time, girls might fall out, misunderstand, or disrupt each other. Sometimes they may resolve things amicable themselves but when they need a guiding hand, please refer this to a core member of the unit leadership team.

    All formal unit volunteers present have A Safe Space Levels 1 and 2 training. At least one volunteer present also has A Safe Space Level 3.

    Please read the unit safeguarding guidelines to help us maintain a safe meeting.

  • Please handover situations requiring first aid, or a member’s personal care, to a core unit volunteer.

    Always remain in view of a formal unit volunteer whilst with young members.

  • Please do not take photographs or film video in which other attendees, young and old, can be seen or heard.

    Some members of the unit cannot be shown on social media and, as we want to minimise singling them out, it may not be possible for you to tell who to avoid photographing.

    You can take photographs of your own child or children.

    Photography is carried out by formal volunteers, following relevant Girlguiding and unit policies.

Rainbows in the Leeds Castle maze.

Maintaining a safe space for everyone.

  • Be a positive role model, demonstrating respect, curtesy and patience.

  • Stay fair and treat everyone equally.

  • Never use inappropriate language and gestures, including expletives (however mild) and disrespectful terms.

  • Avoid physical contact where possible.

  • Never put yourself in a situation where you are unsupervised with girls or young members.

  • Never put yourself or others at risk.

  • Please read the unit safeguarding guidelines before attending.

Parent helpers and safeguarding at a glance.

  • Adults can help at a Girlguiding meeting, trip or event on 2 occasions each term. You won’t need to formerly register as a volunteer to take part on a parent rota or join us on a trip.

  • Adult helpers must be supervised by one of our formal volunteers. This means that you can’t be on your own with young members.

  • Adult helpers cannot stay overnight as part of a residential or sleepover. Doing so is restricted to formal volunteers with a valid DBS check and at least A Safe Space 1 and 2.

  • Adult helpers are not allowed to take photographs. They can photograph their own children.

  • We can only accept adult visitors into our unit meetings, trips and events by invitation of the unit leader.

  • All adults (aged 18 years or older) present at a meeting or on a trip do count towards adult to child ratios.

  • Parents and family members who attend a meeting, trip or event should read the Unit safeguarding guidelines.

  • You can also find out more about the Girlguiding recruitment and vetting process.

Volunteering

Made for girls, powered by volunteers

Fancy an evening of art and craft? S’mores around the campfire? What about an adventure in a castle, or the thrill of a theme park? That’s our sort of thing. And if we haven’t done it yet, we’re probably planning to.

Girlguiding units are run entirely by volunteers and its volunteers that make the best memories happen. Who’d of thought that can be rewarding? So, if you want to join us, you can! Whether DofE, Guide helpers, Young Leaders or Adults.

If you’re over 13 you can register to be a Girlguiding volunteer.