Innovate Ulster
by Katie Hargreaves and Jayne Armstrong

Innovate Ulster took place 30th June - 2nd July 2006 at the University of Ulster on the outskirts of Belfast. Innovate weekends have been taking place across the UK since 2000, and  are a chance for Senior Section members to get together, share their thoughts on Guiding and how to take it forward, meet new people and share ideas, and have fun! This was the first time that the event had been held in Northern Ireland, and the location was part of the attraction for many who attended, as it was also an opportunity to discover this fascinating city.

We bumped into each other at Stansted on the Friday afternoon, instantly knowing that we were both going to the same place because of what we were wearing! We also met up with a couple of other girls on the same flight, so straight  away we'd managed to make new friendships. This continued throughout the weekend, as we got to know people at the Friday night quiz, in our workshop groups, at mealtimes and at the Saturday night disco.

The serious business of the weekend was attending the association workshops, a series of sessions over the weekend that focused on a particular issue that is relevant to the future of guiding, such as making guiding accessible to all, the way that guiding is perceived by the public, and the place of guiding in a global society. The workshops took the form of brainstorming sessions, discussion of ideas and presentations (and involved large quantities of sweeties and post-it notes!) 

For the Saturday afternoon's personal development workshop there were many options to choose from, such as spa treatment, cheerleading, car maintenance and Tae Kwondo, but we had chosen the walking option. This turned out to be a good choice, as, starting at Belfast Castle, we ascended Cave Hill, to enjoy a spectacular view out over the whole City. Saturday night's entertainment took the form of a bandana party, to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. We also celebrated the Senior Section's 90th birthday with birthday cake, and party games including pass-the-parcel. We then got down to the serious business of dancing (despite the dj's rather odd choice of playing a Christmas song in July!)

Sunday morning, some of us slightly the worse for wear, saw the final association workshop and the wrap-up session, which included a talk by the new Chief Guide. The fringe session enabled us to carry on our discussions over lunch. Fond farewells were said to new friends, although some of us were lucky enough to be staying on in Belfast, and had the chance to explore the area more fully. We would recommend Innovate to other Senior Section members - it's a great opportunity to make your contribution to the development of Guiding, as well as a great way to make friends and develop your own skills.