Reach is an annual event for young people from Girlguiding Scotland, Scouts Scotland, Youth Scotland and Boys Brigade Scotland who take part in the Generation CashBack project. Reach is planned, organised and delivered by  young advisors from each of the organisations. Our CashBack development officer Anna caught up with the 4 Girlguiding Scotland young advisors, Abby, Lucy, Clara and Erin, to find out more. 

The theme for this year’s Reach was Connect, Climate, Change. 

Tell me about your roles as young advisors 

Lucy: “Since September we’ve had 1 meeting a month. Every meeting had a different focus, and we planned a different area of the event. In December we designed the programme and the logos, in January we focused on the opening and closing plenaries and in February we were confirming everything and checking we were happy with it. 

Abby: “We all worked as a team to plan everything so it wasn’t just 1 person’s ideas. It all came together to make an event that people who are in Guides would like to go to.” 

Erin: “At the actual event we were helping everyone complete their Hi5 Award booklet. [Everyone who attended Reach had the opportunity to complete a Hi5 Award to celebrate their achievements].”

Lucy: “We took some of the delegates [young people from the 4 organisations] to workshops, handed out awards and we went round getting photos for their booklets and then we guided them to lunch and gave them games and energisers to keep them happy.”

Clara: “We were there to dot around and make sure everyone was getting on okay, to give them the help they needed or give them directions to where they needed to go.”

What have you gained from being young advisors?

Clara: “I’ve definitely become a more confident person. Back in September, I wouldn’t speak to anybody. I would just go along with what everyone else said. Now I would speak out and speak my mind.”

Erin: “I’ve met people from other units and other groups. I’ve got to see what Guides is like for them and how different it is in their communities. It’s interesting to see how people do things in different units.”

Abby: “It’s helped a lot with my team working skills. Before I joined Reach, I found it hard to put out my own ideas as well as listen to other people’s ideas and their reasons why. This experience has shown me that there are reasons as to why people do things differently.”

What was the biggest challenge?

Clara: “Meeting someone for the first time is really hard. Initially, you’re trying to talk to people and make friends because you know you’re going to be working with them for a long time.” 

Lucy: “I think another hard thing was trying to make sure that everybody had their say and that you were heard as well so all of the different suggestions and ideas were supported.”

Abby: “I think the hardest part for me was the first meeting having to meet everybody. In the second meeting we played a game and it was a decision making game, and I think quite a lot of us just went with what we thought everyone would like, and at the end none of us got the result that we wanted for it.”

What are you guys going to do next?

Erin: “Me and Clara are planning on trying to apply for Reach again next year because we liked it so much and we’d really like the opportunity to do it again. “

Clara: “Reach has actually inspired me to start becoming a young leader and then a leader when I’m old enough.”

Abby: “Lucy and I are doing our DofE right now with Guides and we’re doing event planning from Reach as our skill. We’re also doing our young leader [qualification]. Reach will help us as young leaders because it showed us how to listen to people and how to plan. I want to go to Aberdeen University and do primary teaching. I think my experience as a young leader will help. Reach will definitely help because I’ve learnt how to work with people and it’ll look good on my application.”

Would you recommend other people become young advisors?

Everyone: “Yes!”

Lucy: “100%.” 

Clara: “Absolutely. It gives you skills that you never think you would have. In September I was the quietest person you’d ever meet and now I can talk to people like it’s natural. It’s a great way to develop skills and you become a better person because of it.” 

Lucy: “We get a Silver Youth Achievement Award, [a National 5 level award] so it’s nice to know that you’re not doing all the work for nothing. It pushes you out of your comfort zone and it forces you to talk to people. This year I had Abby doing it with me who’s my friend in guiding but last year I knew absolutely no one and I had to make these friends when I came. I’ve made some brilliant friends who I still talk to today.”