Girlguiding Scotland development workers Reann and Emily share their experiences of running recruitment stalls across Scotland.

Location, location, location!

Is there a place in your community where lots of people go at the weekend? Is there already a community event that you could tag along to? A great recruitment stall location lets you chat with lots of people passing by. You also want somewhere you can be really visible – make people notice you!

• Pavilion in a park– people don’t usually rush around a park so they have time for a chat, and you can catch families walking home from school.
• Supermarket – supermarkets are often very busy with lots of potential for recruiting volunteers. Get in touch with your local supermarket community champion to help you get set up.
• Shopping centre – these places are always open to charities hosting stalls, so why not get in touch and see how they can support your recruitment plans – link to Elaine’s blog.
• Job fairs – they always have volunteering stalls for people developing their confidence and CV, so make Girlguiding the most visible choice! – link to resource.
• Freshers’ fair – for recruiting students get in at the beginning of term by attending a fresher’s fair event. Check out this blog post to learn more about this – link to blog.

Have a talking point 

Having something fun, familiar or a little bit curious on your recruitment stall can be a great way to catch someone’s eye and start a conversation. At SHQ we’re a big fan of having a pair of glittery wellies on the table! Either people comment on how much they like them and you can start a conversation that way, or you can encourage people over by simply saying “What do you think of my glittery wellies?” Works every time!

• Bring along badges to show what you get up to, maybe one your unit or district has designed.
• Has one of your girls made you a gift? Bring that along!
• If your stall is at a themed event, incorporate that into your stall. For example, how guiding helps wellbeing, or employability skills you can pick up as a volunteer.
• Have a cardboard campfire (with free marshmallows of course!)
• Conversation starters cards.

Have the website ready

There’s nothing worse than having a fantastic chat with someone about volunteering with Girlguiding, they’re really excited to join the fun, you send them away with a postcard but they forget to sign up! Having a phone, tablet, or laptop with you to access the ‘become a volunteer’ page on the website is essential. People are more likely to become volunteers because you’ve already registered them as enquirers so they don’t need to do it in their own time.

Freebies

The Girlguiding Scotland online shop has free posters and postcards, and you can design and print your own resources from the online design centre. These are colourful, and have important information like the website and your contact details. Give these away to everyone you talk to – you never know who might sign up to volunteer as a result! Here are some more ideas:

• Stickers are a great reminder for people to register.
• Sweets are great if you’re targeting young people.
• Branded balloons for people to take away.
• To link into environmental days, how about a packet of seeds.
• Making friendship bracelets – a great way to get people to stop for a chat.

Say hello first 

The people walking by your recruitment stall might not know what Girlguiding means, maybe their understanding is very outdated, or they might just be a bit shy. Starting a conversation with a potential volunteer is as easy as saying hello! Don’t be afraid to be yourself, and show them why you love Girlguiding so much. We’re a volunteering community over 7,700 strong, there’s a reason for that!