An Inverness Guide group have managed to keep their struggling unit open, as well as continue providing opportunities for girls, amid the cost-of-living crisis. 

Girls from 25th Inverness (Drakies) Guides were able to celebrate World Thinking Day, take part in meditation and yoga and write letters to their future selves. This was all made possible by the Good Guiding Fund, which awarded the unit £500 to help pay their annual subscription – the yearly fee Girlguiding members pay. The money also allowed the unit to welcome more girls and increase in size. 

Speaking about the funding, former unit leader Elizabeth MacKinnon (who now runs the 25th Inverness [Drakies] Brownie unit), said: “The money did help pay for the annual subscription and kept us financially secure. (The Guides) have been able to take part in an active game aimed at recognising privilege and the impact of lacking privilege, celebrate World Thinking Day and International Women’s Day, and repurpose household waste of hard plastics to create gifts. (The girls) also created posters and carried out performances on self-chosen causes important to them (ranging from gender inequality to littering), learned about guiding during WWII and took part in team building games.” 

The unit also made a visit to the care home of a Trefoil member, Helen Malcolm, to hand out Christmas cards to residents and perform carols, as well as tell Helen what badges they’ve been working on and see her badges from her 60 years in guiding. 

Elizabeth added: “I cannot thank Girlguiding Scotland enough for providing us with the grant. It may not seem a lot of money but in today’s economic crises’, it allowed me to do activities and provide experiences for the girls that they might not otherwise be able to do. This was beyond anything we could have envisioned and we are grateful for Girlguiding Scotland’s donation.” 

The Good Guiding Fund is available to units, districts and divisions across Scotland and supports good quality local guiding. This can mean providing funding for rent and subscriptions to uniform and resources or trips in Scotland or beyond. The fund will open twice per year over the next 3 years, supported by The Gannochy Trust.  Since the Good Guiding Fund was created in 2021, more than £360,000 of funding has been awarded to units, districts, divisions and counties.

Read about how the Good Guiding Fund allowed the 1st Arbroath Guides and Rangers to attend a 2-day residential in Stirling here. 

Apply to the Good Guiding Fund