Something from the commissioner...

Happy World Thinking Day – this year we are looking forward to celebrating with members around the county with international dancing and camp fires. If you are also looking for ideas to celebrate in your unit Midlands have produced an activity pack full of great ideas which you can access Here



Guiding is all about friendship and fun. The leaders at the county weekend certainly had lots of fun working as a patrol and doing challenges and had an inspirational talk from The Art of Brilliance. Thank you to Lynsey, Deborah and all the region trainers who came and delivered an amazing weekend. Looking forward to 8 June 2025 when the whole county will be having fun at Whipsnade Zoo – bookings are open, look out for more information in the newsletter and on our website. 

EVENTS

What's happening where and when? Click on the Event for further details

TRAININGS - More trainings in next months news and views

To complete First Response, or Safer Guiding e-learnings (which replace Safe Space Levels 1, 2 and 3) please visit the Learning Platform

External First Response - All recognised prior learning or external courses will need to be verified through the external first aid area of the learning platform. This will be verified by your region first aid verifier team. You'll be asked to complete your 1st response e-learning (if you haven't already done so) before you're able to upload your external course for verification. You'll be asked to provide your certificate as well as information regarding how your external course has covered the 1st response syllabus

Fun, Friendship and Laughter at the Leaders County Weekend

Jubilee Fun-nights

We have booked adventure venues around the county for you to attend and

enjoy, all profits help to maintain our Jubilee Campsite. Cost £7.00 for each

girl at all venues



• Monday 24 March at Tigers in Kettering (R, B & G) 5.30-7.30pm

• Tuesday 25 March at Zoomania in Northampton (R&B)6.00-8.00pm

• Wednesday 26 March at Tigers in Kettering (R, B & G) 6.30-8.30pm

• Friday 28 March at Tigers in Daventry (R, B & G) 6.30pm-8.30pm

Please note the times at each venue

Zoomania is for Rainbows & Brownies, Tigers is for Rainbows, Brownies & Guides

Morning of 2nd August to teatime of 5th August 2025

County holiday at Hautbois near Norwich for Brownies and Guides

Closing Date 28 February 2025 or when Full

Don’t forget there is the Midlands region Make a Difference Fund for girls and

leaders who need a bit of help with funding an adventure 

County is paying for the coaches and badges.

ZSL Members are Free (must bring membership card on the day or will have to pay at the gate) Closing Date 3 May 2025

Information For Leaders HERE

Accounts for the year ending 2024 need to be completed and verified now by an independent reviewer. A reviewer is someone who is financially confident (doesn’t need to have a formal qualification) and must not related to anyone in the unit leadership team or a signatory on the accounts or a member of the leadership team. Please speak to your local commissioner if you need support finding a reviewer.

Your commissioner has been sent the bank form you need to send to them along with the final accounts summary. The bank form is also available as a PDF Here

Please send the information to your commissioner by mid March 2025 as county needs all the information from commissioners by the end of March. Katie the county treasurer is able to help answer any finance questions you may have treasurer@girlguidingnorthamptonshire.org.uk

International opportunities

Sunday 9th February 2025 (daytime) at Unity Centre, Moulton Park Young members aged 12 yrs and over (Guides, Young Leaders and Rangers) information and activities with an international theme relating to international opportunities. Any young members 13-18 interested in learning about international Girlguiding are welcome to join us on this date. A consent form will need to be returned when confirming your attendance.

Any young members who have secured places on Midland Region international trips who would like to be involved in the Thinking Day event to raise funds for their trip please get in touch.

For more information and to confirm attendance to any of the above dates

Email Jane at international@girlguidingnorthamptonshire.org.uk

On Saturday 16^th November 2024, myself and representatives from Girl Guiding Midlands spent the day with some of the fabulous team from Stormbreak.

Stormbreak are a wonderful charity who promote positive mental health through simple movement activities. They started off working with Primary Schools and have had a lot of positive feedback from teachers, parents and students alike.

A number of the other Girlguiding Midlands counties have started to share these Stormbreak activities with their Rainbow and Brownie units, with incredibly positive effects. Leaders have been able to link up Stormbreak activities to the Girlguiding programme.

As the Stormbreak Liaison for Girlguiding Northamptonshire, I would like to find local Rainbow and Brownie units who would be interested in more information about these activities and maybe start including them into their Guiding meetings. If you are interested, either as a face to face session or zoom meeting please email myself at HighamGuides@gmail.com

The team at Girlguiding Midlands have started to work on activities suitable for Guides and Rangers, so watch this space for further details

If you would like to find out more about Stormbreak themselves, please go to Stormbreak.org.uk – Lou Winter

Did you know you don’t have to be a commissioner to nominate someone in your unit, district or division for an award? We have County, Region and National awards for girls and adults the application form is on the county website.

Do you know someone who is always ready to help with an extra event, does amazing activities with her unit, or supports girls and new volunteers to progress through guiding, or a young member who has done something extra special?



If so why don’t you nominate them? You don’t need to decide which award to nominate them for, the committee will do that. The next committee meeting is in March so please email your nominations to the office office@girlguidingnorthamptonshire.org.uk and awards@girlguidingnorthamptonshire.org.uk by 16^th February 2025, thank you. 

Calling all Ranger Units📣📣📣

Why not try out this great new Inspire Challenge Badge?

This challenge badge is aimed at Rangers and young leaders to show them what Inspire is and what it has to offer them once they turn 18. Inspire members can also complete the activities to earn the badge as an introduction to Inspire.

The Badge is split into 7 sections to follow the 7 pathways that form Inspire. People need to complete at least 1 clause from each section. This can be adapted depending on the needs of the individual.

Inspire members (18-30)

Make sure you all join (if you haven’t already) the Midlands Inspire Group Hub! For all Inspire events put on by Midland

We also have our own Northamptonshire Inspire Facebook Group

Well done to all our members who have been working hard and already achieved their Training Brooches! Do YOU have yours?



All the time you spend keeping up to date in your Guiding roles can help work towards a training pin.                        

This includes both e-learnings and face to face trainings - so attending a safe space, first response or county training day will give you hours towards a pin.  

These have been achieved this month;

Training Record Cards are available to print from the county website, so you can record what you do and then apply to the office for your hard-earned brooches. It also explains how to count your hours and what can be included. 

The Going Away With Scheme is a resource for all adults within guiding who have completed the Leadership Qualification and wish to gain a qualification to be able to take their girls away on residentials.

Congratulations to



Jodi Twiner who has completed

GAW Modules 1-6 and 8 Guides

Nights Away Badges

Every time you spend one or more nights away on a Girlguiding event keep track using the record card below. 

When you reach 1,3,5,7,10,15,25,50,75,100,150 and 200 nights you can celebrate with a Northamptonshire nights away badge.

If you make your purchase from the county office you will need to add on postage unless collecting - order form for that below or purchase via the guiding shops in the usual way.

Girlguiding Northamptonshire are celebrating the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics with a challenge badge

Girlguiding in motion

MacQueen House

Coffee Morning Thursday 27 March 10.00-12.00

Coffee, tea, cakes bring & buy and raffle

Information and availability for MacQueen HERE

Jubilee Campsite

Information and availability HERE

County Office - The Unity Centre - Opening times

9.30am-12.30pm Weekdays and term-time

During school holidays it is always best to phone 01604 648740 or email office@girlguidingnorthamptonshire.org.uk

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