Girlguiding Cambridgeshire East

As I write this I am just starting my half term holiday, and preparing to go off to Rhodes for a week of sun, sea and relaxation. I'm sure there are many of you who are also preparing to go off somewhere with your Rainbows, Brownies, Guides or Senior Section and although the weather forecast might not be so good I'm sure that you will all have a good time and share the true meaning of Guiding with your girls!

Last weekend I attended the region roll out of the new Aim Hi! Resource. This resource is a cross sectional resource in support of Girlguiding UK's Healthy Individual campaign for 2008. At its heart is the idea that good health is a combination of physical, mental, and social well-being. Aim Hi! contains over 50 fun activities on aspects of healthy living like sleep, body, image, exercise, fitness, smoking, alcohol, sexuality, mental well-being, brain power, emotional health, sun safety and more. As we did with the Right Now resource last year, we will be planning rollout sessions to bring to you in your areas of the county over the next year in our series of 'Round and About' trainings. I was disappointed to hear that at least two of the last series of 'Round and About' trainings had to be cancelled due to lack of numbers. This is a shame as sessions such as this take a lot of planning and were designed to be great fun, and planned to respond to your requests to bring trainings to you.

I was delighted to be able to visit Granta Division's Great Day Out and despite the weather the spirits of the leaders and girls had not been dampened and everybody was having a good time in the craft rooms, playing with the parachute, trying their hand at circus skills as well as many other activities.

This week has seen Erin Munnelly, a member of the Histon Rangers, take up her duties as Mayor's Cadet to the new Mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Mike Dixon at a ceremony at the Guildhall. Erin will accompany Cllr Dixon to many of his civil duties and this gives Erin an excellent opportunity to promote Guiding within the city. The chance for a member of Cambs East to become Mayor's cadet arose after Cllr Dixon attended the Film Challenge Oscar's night, where he was so impressed with the girls that took part. On the same day several of our Vice Presidents and members represented the County at a service at Ely Cathedral, remembering the life of The Hon Margaret Fox, who died recently. Margaret was one of our Vice Presidents and was a previous County Commissioner of Cambridgeshire. I am looking forward to seeing many of you at our County Event, hosted this year by City Division. Let's hope the weather shines on us on 7 June!

Sue

COUNTY NEWS
Large County Exec
Due to a clash of dates with the Big Gig, the date of the Large County Exec has changed from Saturday 18 October to Sunday 19 October. The venue remains Quy Village Hall.

Newsletter Deadlines
Please note that the copy date for the newsletter is usually the 20th of the month. If your article arrives after the published date (at the bottom of this page) we cannot guarantee that we will be able to include it for that month. We have a deadline to get it to the printers!

NEWS FOR BROWNIE GUIDERS
Brownie Airport Day
Unfortunately we have had to postpone Brownie Airport Day until the autumn. Those Guiders who have applied for spaces will recieve a letter shortly. Please accept our apologies. Look out for information soon for the new date.

Flag Fen - Brownie Activity Evenings.
Bring your Brownies to Flag Fen Archaeology Park near Peterborough. Choose from activities such as a archaeological dig, pond dipping or complete many clauses of the ‘Seasons’ or ‘Wildlife Explorer’ badges and finish off with a Celtic story in one of the roundhouses. Cost is £3.50 per Brownie. For more information contact the County Office.

NEWS FOR GUIDE GUIDERS
Big Gig
If you wish to take advantage of travel on county coaches, please get in touch with me via the County Office as soon as you receive your ticket allocation. I will book coaches once I know which units have tickets, and which show you are going to. I expect the price to be in the region of £12-15 per head (unless fuel continues to rise over the next few months!).

Sheila Betts

Flag Fen Bronze Age Centre
For Guides and Senior Section aged 12+. Bring your girls to a Bronze Age Garden; carve bowls; shoot arrows; throw spears; make string; complete Outdoor Challenge badges; dress up; taste nettle tea. Come for the day or overnight and sleep in a roundhouse.

For more information contact the County Office.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
International Leaders Opportunities day
Sat 14 June 2008. 10.30am to 3.30pm at Toft Peoples Hall. £3 for the day. For leaders/assisstant leaders looking to travel abroad either independantly or as a leader of a group. For more information contact either the County Office or Sue Bisson on 01295 250840.

International Opportunities for Guides and Senior Section
Saturday 6 September at Barton School.
Encourage your Guides and Senior Section members to give international travel a try! They need to be 14 years old by August 2009. Please see the enclosed flyer for more information and application form.

IMPORTANT- Please note that the date has been brought forward and is much earlier than usual so please encourage your girls to get their forms in by the end of this term. The beginning of next term will be too late!

INTOPS
INTOPS is an action-packed weekend for those aged 17-30 years that will allow you to find out about the opportunities available to you in other countries through guiding including GOLD projects. Come along and you'll take part in lots of fun and challenging activities. By the end of the weekend you'll have been tested to the limit to see how you work in different groups and situations, and you'll have found out about international opportunities that may be suited to your talents and interests. INTOPS 2008 is taking place 10-12 October 2008 at Miskin Mill Scout Village, Cardiff and costs £40. Email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it for further information and an application pack!

Adults for International
If you are interested in being a Leader or Assistant Leader for a County group international experience please let me know. Also if you are planning to take a group abroad in the future please contact the office and they will let Corrina know.

OUTDOORS NEWS
Nights Away Badges
Nights Away badges are available for anyone who has stayed at a guiding overnight event. The more nights away you spend the higher the badge! You need to enter the event and date on a record card (download from the county website: www.cambseastguides.org.uk or from the County Office) which should be signed by the GiC of the event.

Badges for 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 25 Nights are available from the County Office at 50 pence each. Badges for 2 nights away are now available, so if the girl’s first event is for 2 nights you do not need to give a 1-night badge as well.

For those of you who have acheived 50, 75 and 100 nights away please contact Mandy Blacker. Remember adults get them too!

Large scale events
If you are planning an overnight event for more than 36 Brownies or 50 Guides, or 2+ nights for more than 30 Brownies or 50 Guides, it is classed as large scale, and a G/P form must be submitted to the relevant county team member at least 9 months in advance. It is vital that the Guiding manual rules are adhered to at all times for all activities with regard to ratios, maximum numbers, forms and qualifications required. Whatever activity you are planning, please talk to a Commissioner or Adviser at the beginning of your plans - don't wait until the last minute.

County Centenary Camp August 2010. There will be a regular update on plans. We hope that every girl aged 10 and over will have the choice of attending - those with no available/qualified leader can still come. We hope that every unit will choose the County camp as their summer camp for 2010. If you have Guiding contacts in other parts of the Country or the World, we encourage you to invite them - there will be invitation packs available soon. The camp will be most successful if every Cambridgeshire East Guide and Senior Section unit is there - so put it in your diary now and look out for more information. We also need contacts for any activities suitable for 10 and up that you have found successful please contact the County Office.

Swimming Gala
A reminder that this is on Sunday 22 June in Ely and open to all sections. See the flyer in the last newsletter for more details or contact the County Office or Chris Turnbull. Entries need to be with Chris by 15 June.

Walking Scheme Level 3 Training and Assessment
4-9 November 2008 at Grasmere, Cumbria. Organised by Girlguiding UK this course is for those with hill walking experience who wish to gain further training or qualification. For further information contact the County Office.

SAINSBURY ACTIVE KIDS VOUCHERS

We are coming to the end of this year’s campaign. When you have all your vouchers please send them to me or the County Office to go towards activity equipment at the Jarman Centre so that everyone in the County can benefit. The present count is about 1,500.

Many thanks,

Toni-ann Hammond

TRAINING NEWS

First Response Courses

The course on the 29 June is now full. The demand for these courses this year remains high and I will try and arrange some extra dates to those already advertised. To try and meet the demand of those trying to renew before the summer holiday season you will find a flyer enclosed for a course we can put on if there is sufficient demand during the afternoon and evening of Thursday 19 June.

Toni-ann

Food Hygiene Course

The course on 15 June is also now full.

Toni-ann

SPECIAL NEEDS NEWS
There have been two very successful events for the girls during May. 11 of us enjoyed a day's river cruising on the Waveney Stardust which is a wheelchair-freindly boat run by a charity in Gillingham near Beccles. We have also had a bowling party and meal at Newmarket Snooker and Bowl. The Anglia SMILE holiday is fully booked with Cambs East sending 6 girls who will be supported by buddies from 1st Newmarket Rangers as well as local carers and Guiders. Our next Cambs East event will be a trip on the Bure Valley Miniature Railway and a cruise on the Broads at Wroxham and takes place on 20 September. There are still places available on this outing. Please contact me if you have any girls who may benefit from this events.

Sandra Copping

PR NEWS
209radio
Rosie has purchased a ‘from me to you’ bear from Girlguiding UK. She would like you to send in your suggestions to give her a name. Please send them to Rosie via the county office. The prize will be a free badge.

The next ‘Surprise Yourself Show’ will be on Saturday 21 June at 1pm. Get in touch with Rosie and her team at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Listen on 105fm or online http://surprise.209radio.co.uk and click on mp3.

GREAT HAUTBOIS HOUSE
Wellbeing Weekend 17-19 October 2008
Girlguiding Anglia is offering a weekend to promote wellbeing and discuss recent guiding publications, Aim Hi, Self Esteem and Looking at Me. As a thank you for all you do, Anglia Region are subsidising 50% of the cost. For more inforamtion contact either the County Office or the Region Office.

GENERAL NEWS
Emma Honey came to a training in Cambs East in May and said to say hello to all her friends in Cambs East. She is now PR Adviser in Kent Weald and teaching in Maidstone.

Mepal

Judith Bradshaw will be offering Swedish Massage at the Mepal weekend this year to raise funds for her unit. If you would like a massage there while your girls are busy with their activities, please contact the county offive for more information. Prices are from £4.00 and you will need to allow at least 15 mins.

Horse Transport

I am still looking for someone with access to a horse lorry, trailer or something else suitable to kindly volunteer to move a full size wooden horse from Fulbourn to the Jarman Centre. It will require a team of four adults to carry. Mileage will be paid. Please get in touch.

Toni-Ann Hammond

Puddings for Iceland
A chocolate fountain, American puddings, English favourites and some mouthwatering new recipes are all being included in more than 20 different puddings at Joanne Maimaris' Pudding Party to raise funds towards the £1,350 travel and camping costs for the trip to Iceland this summer.

Fourteen year old Joanne was selected to join the 12 Guides and three leaders from Cambridgeshire East going to 'Live like a Viking' at Hamrar Scout Centre in Akureyri, for the Icelandic National Jamboree 2008 in July.

Why not come along for a social occasion: eat what you fancy and put weight-watching on hold for a summer's evening at Hildersham Village Hall from 7pm on Thursday 26 June. Tickets @ £5 each please contact the County Office for more information.

Mayors Cadet
Congratulations to Erin Munnelly from Histon Rangers who became Mayors Cadet on 22 May. Erin will accompany the Mayor on his civic duties for one year. What a great opportunity for Girlguiding in Cambridgeshire East.