Celebrating student volunteering week with a special emphasis on Girlguiding - Mhairi Ferrier

As a student you often find yourself living in a new community, and it’s a great time in life to explore your local area and the role you can play in it. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s just how important it is to come together in times of need. That’s why I’m celebrating Student Volunteering Week this week, which recognises the impact of student volunteers and encourages students to engage in civic life.
Mhairi Ferrier, Girlguiding Scotland member and Rainbow LeaderMhairi Ferrier, Girlguiding Scotland member and Rainbow Leader
Mhairi Ferrier, Girlguiding Scotland member and Rainbow Leader

There are many ways to volunteer your time as a student with a whole range of organisations and causes. But, if you’re someone who wants to make a difference to lives of girls and young women and help them grow in confidence, then Girlguiding is likely to be a good fit for you. Girlguiding is a vibrant and exciting charity to volunteer with as a student. Anyone who volunteers with Girlguiding has the opportunity to take part in many activities ranging from camping, taking part in leadership courses, to travelling abroad. There really is something to suit everyone.

One of the main things that I enjoy about volunteering is the break it gives me from my studies. Being a history student, I spend a lot of time alone reading books and articles and it’s always a real joy to spend time with my Rainbow unit after a day in the library. I’ve been a member of Girlguiding since I was a young girl and have never really left, but you don’t need to have been in guiding before to join the organisation. Girlguiding is a great way to meet people when moving to a new place, as it helps connect you to a network of people immediately.

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I have had many roles and opportunities in my guiding journey, including being a unit leader and even a local social media advisor. I also completed my Queen’s Guide Award in July 2020.

This is the highest award you can work towards in guiding which gives you the chance to develop your skills, whilst contributing to guiding and your local community at an impressive level. It takes three years to complete, and while it was challenging to balance alongside my studies and my job, it was such a great feeling of achievement.

It’s not just the things you can get involved with and the skills you can develop, but through guiding I have made lifelong friendships and met some of my closest friends. I have had the chance to try so many things that I wouldn’t have done otherwise, from taking a group of Guides to Oslo, to taking part in a Democracy Festival in London and even learning how to drive a narrowboat.

My experiences in Girlguiding have given me so much confidence to give so many things a go, and the drive to succeed in them. These experiences are going to benefit my future too as they are great examples to draw on in interviews, and employers are always very positive about the impact of Girlguiding.

A tip for interested students who are looking to volunteer with Girlguiding is that whatever amount of time you can offer is a real benefit to the organisation and the young people we work with.

Whether you can give a couple of hours a week or want to take on additional roles, you can play a key role in enriching the lives of so many girls and young women in Scotland. With guiding being delivered in new and innovative ways due to Coronavirus restrictions, you can empower girls and young women from your living room!

So, if you’re interested in becoming a volunteer head over to www.girlguidingscotland.org.uk/get-involved/ to find out how to get involved and become a member.

Mhairi Ferrier, Girlguiding Scotland member and Rainbow Leader

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