Girl Guiding Survival at Glenbrook tests nerves and builds skills. Guides learn that fires are easier to build than confidence, and both light the way forward.
The Alpkit Foundation is delighted to have supported Girl Guiding Derbyshire, helping Guides from South Derbyshire to attend a Survival Badge Day at Glenbrook Outdoor Activity Centre. We caught up with the group to see how the event went.
Around 200 Guides from North Derbyshire and Sheffield came together at Glenbrook Outdoor Activity Centre in Hope Valley to work on their survival skills and obtain their badge. The activity centre is completely self-funded and all profits are reinvested to improve facilities and expand their offering of activities; this ensures that Guides, Scouts, and other youth organisations can continue to use and benefit from the facilities.
Makeshift bivvy
Having fun with tarps shelters!
The Guide Survival Badge is an opportunity for Guides to learn new practical skills such as shelter building, how to prepare for a day out, navigating, and reading timetables. During their visit to Glenbrook, Guides are able to participate in activities that wouldn't usually be possible in their normal meet-ups. The Alpkit Foundation supported the Girl Guiding Derbyshire with funding for a transport to and from the event, enabling 45 Guides and 10 leaders to attend by removing the financial obstacles of transport costs.
Alison from Girl Guiding Derbyshire explained how a change of location and format from the usual guiding meet-ups benefitted the group:
" the guides and leaders learned new skills in a fun interesting way enabling them to appreciate outdoors more. it is always beneficial for girls from different guide units attend joint events as helps realise that they are just small part of overall guiding movement.>
Girlguiding UK has identified that low self-esteem and confidence are factors that play a large part in the development of young women. In addition to learning practical skills for the outdoors, the survival badge activity day revolved around providing an environment where young people could improve their communication skills, develop new relationships, and build their self-confidence; which in turn translates to higher attainment at school.
A pretty epic natural shelter
To sum up the day, Alison told us:
" the project was definitely a success as girls from derby area really threw themselves in to activities.>
We're really pleased to learn that the guides had a such a great day! To find out more about Derbyshire Girlguiding, visit their website.
The Alpkit Foundation supports projects that enable people to overcome the obstacles preventing them from Going Nice Places and Doing Good Things.
This year, I've set myself a unique New Year's resolution: to bivvy at least once every month. It's a commitment to reconnect with nature in a way that only bivvying can offer...
