Guiding worldwide
As part of a worldwide movement Girlguiding allows its members to connect with sister Guides around the world. The Girlguiding Derbyshire International team wants to offer all its members the chance to experience the many and varied cultures, opinions and viewpoints from around the globe. Whether this is through activities and challenges in the unit, to meeting and hosting international friends at Peak 2015, or taking part in international camps or service projects around the world.
Brownies, Guides and Ranger members can travel abroad with Girlguiding. A variety of international visits take place each year, some organised by Units, Districts or Divisions, some by Counties and some organised at Region level.
In the past few years Girlguiding Derbyshire members have taken part in service and community development projects in Malawi, Kenya, and Sri Lanka, unit trips to Switzerland and the USA and taken part in a canoe expedition in the Czech Republic, been participants at a World Scout Jamboree in Japan, inter-railed across Europe visiting 9 countries in 2 weeks and Winter activities in Kandersteg.
Want to create your own adventure?
Are you interested in taking your unit abroad? Not sure what it will involve? It is easier than you think and you will be given help, support and advice along the way. To discuss your ideas or to begin your international module of the residential qualification contact get in touch with our International Adviser:
international@girlguidingderbyshire.org
Planned a fantastic Adventure and have a spare space?
We keep a list of girls waiting for opportunities to go abroad with other units. Applications can be vetted. Go on.... give one more Guide an adventure she won't forget!
Going abroad list - office@girlguidingderbyshire.org
Kandersteg 2020
In February 2020, a group of Guides and Scouts from across Derbyshire had an international adventure in Switzerland. 3 of the Guide Leaders from the trip have shared their experiences with us.
Lucie Allen
After attending an international trip as a Ranger, when the chance to volunteer as a leader for Kandersteg 2020 came up it was a great opportunity for me to give younger members the same experience I had.
Having never led an international trip it was a little scary to take on the main leader role and also the job of coordinating participants from both Girlguiding and Scouting, but I needn’t have been concerned! The help from the leadership team, County and the training I attended, meant that I felt supported to ensure that we could deliver an amazing trip – and that is just what it was, an amazing trip! Everyone pushed themselves in their own ways, but to see all members grow through the week, create memories and friendships that will last far beyond the days we were away. It is those memories that I fondly look back on, with the added bonus of friendships that will last for a long time to come!
Was I tested at times? Yes, of course. People management, planning, conflict resolution, budgeting, working with 31 x 14 to 18 year olds I’d never met, plus eight other leaders I didn’t know before the trip all came in to it, but at no time did I feel I was alone.
I would recommend taking the opportunity to experience a County International trip. Being with people I didn’t know before only made it that bit more special.
Rachel Bridge
I volunteered for the Kandersteg trip as I wanted to experience a different kind of Girlguiding adventure. I have been involved with a unit for 14+ years now and really enjoy taking my Brownies away so I thought it would be great to assist on a County trip and get a taste of an international adventure. I aim to achieve my international qualification so wanted to gain as much experience as possible.
Kandersteg 2020 was absolutely amazing. Everything I could have dreamt and more. It was full of laughs, experiences, adventure and I made great friends along the way. My highlight was the hike and sledge down the Gemmi Pass, the sledging was amazing and we had a huge snowball fight at the end.
We all pushed ourselves on the trip and personally I got a buzz out of creating these memories with the Guides, Scouts and Leaders and being a part of their experience.
Girlguiding has been in my life since I was 5 years old and I'm so pleased to be able to continue joining in the excitement and adventures as an adult. I hope to inspire others, including the girls in my unit, with the stories from my own Girlguiding experiences. This was my first proper international experience and it certainly won't be my last.
Diane Wadey
From the moment we met the young people in June 2019 we knew that this was going to be a memorable trip. What was striking was the participants’ ability to get on with tasks, be helpful, support and care for their peers, and make their own entertainment.
The activities themselves challenged all our skills from igloo building and snow shoeing without snow, to the more gentile experiences of visiting Our Chalet, sitting on top a ski slope once graced by Eddie the Eagle and relaxing in the thermal pools. Those people not involved in Guiding or Scouting may struggle to understand why I would give up my holiday to accompany young people on this adventure, share a bijoux room or "not" sleeping the night outside in a wooden hut. All I would say is that these great memories are worth it!
Laura Addison
Deciding to apply to be a leader on the Kandersteg trip was quite a bit thing for me; although I’ve been a leader for the past 5 years, I didn’t feel like I had as much experience as others, and I didn’t feel confident about applying. However, I decided to push myself and go for it, and I’m really glad I did. We had lots of meetings before we went, to ensure that we all knew what was happening and could contribute to the organisation of the trip. Once we were there, we had the most amazing time, from sledging to skiing, swimming to hiking, we experienced so many exciting and adventurous activities which I would love to do all over again! I also got the chance to work with a great leadership team and group of young people, who provided lots of laughs and contributed to such a fantastic trip. I’d definitely recommend being a leader on an international trip, even if you don’t feel so confident to begin with, once you are there you’ll realise you don’t need to worry about experience, everybody comes together and you learn as you go.
International adventures are a great opportunity to see amazing sights meet amazing people and could even change your life
Please review this helpful PDF Guide for International Risk Assessment - Things to Consider.
Please click on the link for more details of Opportunities and Adventures 2019/20
Opportunity to Represent WAGGGS at Europe Region Conference:
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Opportunity for Deputy GOLD Coordinator:
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Opportunity to Book & Go:
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