News from Advisers

FROM THE COUNTY ARTS ADVISER:

Calling all crafters! We are now arranging the crafts for Flame 2006, So if you would like to be part of the team come along For an informal get together to share ideas at Phoenix Guide Hall, St Anne’s Road, Woolston from 7.00 -9.30 on the 27 July. All ideas most welcome.

Pyrography Could the Guider who borrowed one Pyrography iron at county day please get in touch to arrange its return as we now need it back!

A Request!! - I have inherited an enamelling kiln which needs a complete overhaul as I have been told it will not work. Does anyone know of someone or somewhere I could get it repaired?

FROM THE COUNTY PR ADVISER

I would like to introduce myself as your new County PR Adviser,I will be trying to get as much publicity for us as I can, to keep us in the public eye and help with the recruitment campaign. One thing that has been coming out repeatedly in the research we have been doing is that a lot of the general public do not realise we still exist, if they do know about us they have an image of knots, camping and cooking.

So we need to get ourselves noticed!

One way to do this is that every time something has happened in your unit, send in a report to the press. (I can hear you groaning at the thought of more work to do…….panic not!)

I am happy to help you achieve this. Let me know in advance what you are planning.

If you have the time to write the press release, take the photos and send it all in, then great, but if you don’t, contact me and between us we can make it happen!

We do of course need to follow the guidelines with regard to publication of photographs of the girls.

Are you taking part in any local fetes or fairs this summer? Within the county we have display boards you can borrow to help publicise yourselves, along with posters etc to put on them if needed.

Please feel free to phone or e-mail me with any questions or queries you may have, I’d also love to hear about anything you have done or are doing to let the world know what we are up to in Girlguiding Hampshire West.

Susy Greaves

Daily Echo Pictures We have had a few teething problems but things are now up and running. The initial call from the Echo is to your District Commissioner (or Division Commissioner if you have no DC). She will then give out the numbers for individual units, so that the Echo can make arrangements with you direct.

The campaign is being run over several months, so units are not all being contacted at once, you may find your neighbouring units have been “done” but you haven’t, be patient they will get to everyone.

To help the photographer find your unit, (if you normally keep your doors locked or you are awkward to find), could you set up a system when you speak with him/her initially please.

If you encounter any problems, or need the paperwork, please contact me.

Susy Greaves PR Adviser

FROM THE COUNTY CONTACT:

The “County Contact” – that’s me in the case of Hampshire West – is the person who has accepted the job of putting enquirers in touch with their nearest District Commissioner. Anyone contacting Girlguiding UK on the Project 50K Team or "Join Us" enquiry line is sent literature on the Section they are interested in and told to contact me for details of local Guiding. I am sent the “County Contact Newsletter” every month and May's issue included the following extract which I am asked to pass on to you

Follow Ups

Sometimes parents contact ‘Join Us’ for a second time, feeling that they have not been successful in locating a unit for their daughter. In some cases they have been added to a waiting list and no-one has informed the parents, others are because the parents are expecting instant results and unfortunately a few are due to enquiries not being followed through.

Please can you convey this message to the Commissioner or local contact that you pass the details on to. If there is a waiting list in your area and the girls are placed on this, it would be extremely beneficial to inform the parent/girl that they are on the list and will be contacted as soon as a place is available.

Although we still receive follow up calls, I would like to thank you for all your hard work as these calls are definitely fewer than in previous years.

Nicola Dickenson: Administrator - Project 50K nicolad@girlguiding.org.uk

Liz Harris: Membership Development Manager lizh@girlguiding.org.uk

It should go without saying that offers of help from adults should be contacted personally without delay.

I think the system works well in Hants West, but I have had a couple of return calls from parents saying that they have not been able to make contact either with the DC or the Guider to whom they were referred.

I get an average of two calls a day which are always answered immediately. Everyone's help in keeping the system flowing would be very much appreciated

Thank You

Joan Dalton

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