Big Help Out 2024
Encourage others to lend a hand to Girlguiding on 7-9 June
We’re taking part in the Big Help Out which is a whole weekend dedicated to volunteering.
You help all girls know they can do anything. Let’s showcase the magic of volunteering with Girlguiding!
Girlguiding is an official partner of the Big Help Out. This year we’re encouraging people to get involved in guiding. That could be parents or carers, members of your local community or anyone interested in trying their hand at volunteering with us.
What you need to know
If you’re already a volunteer with us and you want to take part in the Big Help Out, here’s what you need to know.
- The Big Help Out takes place Friday 7 to Sunday 9 June 2024.
- It’s a chance for you to show the world what girls get up to in Girlguiding and recruit new volunteers for your local area.
- You can now upload your local volunteering opportunities to the Big Help Out platform. Members of the public will be able to see them on the Big Help Out app after 16 April.
Keep reading for how to upload your volunteering opportunities to the Big Help Out platform.
Upload your Big Help Out opportunities now
Do you want to join the Big Help Out and plan an event to celebrate the magic of volunteering with Girlguiding? That's great news!
First, you need to set up your Big Help Out account so people can see what events and volunteering opportunities you have to offer. Here's how to get started.
- Visit the Big Help Out website and create an account. Or sign in if you already have one.
- Follow the instructions and fill in the information needed to set up your account.
- Once you're in, click 'Activities' then 'New activity' to add a new volunteering role or opportunity to the platform.
Read support on setting up your Big Help Out account. Or watch the video.
Members of the public and potential new volunteers will be able to browse the opportunities and activities you've created on the Big Help Out app on the 16 April.
Big Help Out badge coming soon
This year you’ll be able to get our special Big Help Out 2024 badge! Give it to the girls who help run your unit open day, the volunteers who lend a hand or get one for yourself to remember the weekend.
Check out these event ideas
Last year, you had fun celebrating the King’s Coronation during the Big Help Out weekend. Now it’s time to open your unit’s doors again and invite the community to lend a hand to Girlguiding.
Check out some of the events you could hold to show people what guiding is and what fun girls have!
Have a unit open day
One of the best ways to show people the fun and adventure of Girlguiding is to have a unit open day.
Use our programme activity finder to plan your meeting and invite parents and carers to come along too. Here are a few things to remember when inviting visitors to your unit:
- Follow our unit safeguarding guidelines and make sure they’re sent out to helpers in an email.
- Complete our external visitor's checklist.
- Fill out the external visitor agreement form.
You could even ask if any parents and carers want to help run the unit meeting by sharing a skill they have. If they have an interesting job, such as being a police officer or working with animals, they could talk to the unit about it or help with an activity.
Read more ways to get parents and carers involved in Girlguiding.
Host a party
What better way to showcase the magic of Girlguiding than with a party! You could host a...
- Garden party. June is the perfect time to have a classic Girlguiding garden party. It could include a teddy bear picnic or marshmallow toasting.
- Disco! Have an evening of music, fancy dress and party games.
- ‘Make your own’ party. This one is perfect if you love arts and crafts! Your unit and its Big Help Out volunteers could get together to make your own food and drink, soap or summer wreaths. You could share them with the community or donate things to charity.
- Bring a friend event. A ‘bring a friend night’ is when every girl in your unit is encouraged to bring a friend to the unit meeting. It could be a friend from school or another club. Or it could be an adult in their life, like a family member, who isn't already part of Girlguiding. It's a great way to introduce both new girls and potential volunteers to Girlguiding.
Your Big Help Out opportunities can ask people to support your party planning or on-the-day event running! Whatever you’re doing, we have a list of fun games to play with your unit.
Look after your local area or property
Are you a volunteer who’s also a property owner or manager? You might be able to do 2 things at once and plan a Big Help Out event around the maintenance of your local area or property. It's a great way to join up with other units in your district, division or county.
You could...
- Paint a fence.
- Do some weeding.
- Litter-pick the area.
- Something else that needs doing!
Use this time to gather a group of happy helpers and tell them more about what girls get up to in guiding.
Connect with schools
Are you a Girlguiding volunteer with a link to a school? Perhaps you work there or your unit is sponsored by a school. This is a great opportunity to show your school what girls get up to in Girlguiding and recruit new volunteers for your local area – including young volunteers!
You could...
- Take a look at our free and downloadable unit meeting activities.
- Share information about becoming a young leader or a young external volunteer.
- Read the Big Help Out's resources for working with schools.
Tell us what you’ve got planned
Don’t forget to tell us what you’ve got planned for the Big Help Out by emailing at [email protected]. We want to shine a spotlight on members who have planned fun and exciting events to spread the guiding cheer!
