I joined Girl Guides when I was 10 years old; I hadn’t been a Rainbow or a Brownie. I loved the sense of belonging to something bigger and really enjoyed all of the opportunities Guiding gave me.
At 14 I became a Young Leader, I was given more responsibility from collecting ‘subs’ to helping plan activities. I found that this helped grow my confidence and my people skills both in and out of Guiding.
When I turned 18, I became a leader and became fully involved in planning trips and activities, liaising with other units, and attending events for leaders such as the Annual General Meeting. This gave me great life skills, including event planning, time management, and budgeting.
When I sat down to write this piece, I realized there’s no way I can choose just one singular memory of my over 6 years as a leader. I’ve loved all of it equally. That’s not to say that at times it hasn’t been hard. When we run events for hundreds of girls, it is always stressful. When we take them on a hike, I always have a fear one of them is going to end up with a twisted ankle! But for me, all the stress and the planning is worth it.
My favorite part of being a leader is making a difference in these girls’ lives.
I love that I can be a role model and that I can help them to grow in confidence as I did. I try to help them through their worries about school or home and try to be a safe person for them to talk to. These girls are aged 10–16, some of the most challenging years in a young person’s life. I find it a privilege to be there for them and try my best to help where I can. I love being able to see my guides change from shy young girls into confident, thoughtful, and articulate young women.
People have asked me in the past why I do Guiding and will I ever stop. My answer is always the same: I love helping to make a difference and I’ll never stop being a part of Girl Guiding.
-Sarah Froggaatt
Junior Girl and Contributor to Better Together: Girl Groups