future girl - girlguiding.org.uk · the future – and celebrate what’s great about being a girl!...

Why is Girlguiding doing this project?We want to give girls the chance to tell us their views about the issues they care about in their own voice, so we can help them make positive changes happen, now and in the future – and celebrate what’s great about being a girl! We’re aiming to gather the thoughts and opinions of up to 10,000 young members from all Girlguiding sections across the UK.

This project will help us understand the ever-changing lives of girls and young women. We’ll use the findings as the foundation of our work to influence the people who matter – informing the calls we make to government and industry, and helping make sure we’re giving girls what they need to thrive.

This is your members’ opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings on what matters most to them, and to be part of something inspiring and powerful.

How do I explain the project to my members?Did you know that there are people who work in Girlguiding that talk to the government about what’s important to you? Well, what you share in today’s activity session will go directly to those people! They’re really looking forward to hearing your views and opinions.

Why are you involving unit leaders?We can’t do it without you! Unit leaders are in the best position to help girls share their views and feel inspired and positive. You see the girls every week and have a strong relationship with them – this will help them feel comfortable talking about what life is

really like for them today, and what it might be like tomorrow. And by taking part in this project, you’ll be helping us make their lives even better in the future.

of 7

Future Girl: Brownies unit leader introduction and worksheet

Don’t forget to get your Future Girl badges – once you’ve completed the activities visit girlguiding.org.uk/futuregirl and fill out the survey for your section. We’ll then send you all the badges for your unit.

Your role is as a facilitator in the activity session, to help girls have their say and to pass on what they care about to Girlguiding. We’re asking you to record the results of the activity, and afterwards to fill in a 10-minute online survey. Please see below for more details on how this works.

Capturing members’ viewsWe want this project to be fun as well as useful, so we’ve created some inspirational activities you can easily work into a unit meeting – these are explained in the Future Girl activity plan for Brownies.

The format of the activity session is:

1. Warm-up Girls’ thoughts around key questions

2. Emoji voting activity Girls vote on different issues and how important they are to them, finally prioritising the three that are most important to them

3. Thinking activity To get girls thinking and talking about any other issues that might have been missed as a large group

4. Groupwork activity Based on a journey to the future, girls pick one issue they’d most like to change

5. Groupwork activity Here girls work on an improvised scene around their chosen issue – a 30-second news report, drama or advertisement

6. Presentation of groupwork Girls share their scenes

7. Thanks for all your input and ideas

Recording members’ viewsWe’d like you to note down the issues the girls identify as most important to them through the activities, and then fill in a 10-minute online survey after the unit meeting. You’ll have either received your survey link already, or you’ll receive it shortly in an email from us.

If possible, it’s best to fill in this survey on the same day as your unit meeting so the girls’ ideas are fresh in your mind, but if not please try to do it as soon as you can afterwards. The sheets the girls create as part of the activity might help to refresh your memory when you’re answering the questions, so make sure you collect these in.

What is my role?

of 7

Activity sessionAt each stage of the activity session it’ll be useful to capture the following information so you can refer to it when you fill in the online survey:

Mini activity 1Warm-up – nothing to record here

Mini activity 2Statement/emoji voting activity – nothing to record here. Please collect in the emoji sheets with their ticks and hearts on at the end of the session to refer to in the online survey

Mini activity 3Any issues missed out - please note down any additional issues girls think have been missed, and any interesting quotes (there’s a quotes sheet and some note paper provided at the end of these instructions)

Mini activity 4Groupwork activity – while they’re deciding on the issue they most want to change, walk around, listen to girls’ views and note down any quotes. Feel free to make more notes to remind you of anything else of interest

Mini activity 5Groupwork activity - listen out for girls’ views, and note down any interesting quotes while they’re improvising their scene

Mini activity 6Presentation of groupwork activity – at the end of each performance please make a few notes about the chosen issue, any ideas girls had for tackling it, how they performed their scene, and any interesting quotes

Mini activity 7Thanks for input and ideas – nothing to record here

Please note: The activity plan is slightly longer than usual. This is to make sure everything’s really clear and everyone carries out the activities in fairly similar ways.

of 7

FAQsQ. What do I do if girls look uncomfortable talking about a certain subject

or I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss?

A. This project covers a wide range of topics and issues, and we’re keen to get girls’ views on what truly matters to them today and in the future. But we’re also mindful that Brownies are still young, so if you’re concerned about talking about a subject, or if a subject comes up in conversation that you think girls won’t feel comfortable with, then feel free to move on to another one. You can also read our Safe Space guide beforehand.

Q. Do I get a choice about how to run the activities?

A. Yes. We’ve provided some fun ready-made activities to get girls thinking about different issues, but please feel free to adapt or change them as long as they still get girls thinking and give you enough information to fill in the online survey – you know what your girls would enjoy most, and what would generate the most discussion! We’ve suggested how to run the activities, but this is only a guide.

Q. I ran the activity session with my members but I can’t remember all their views and opinions: will I still be able to do the survey?

A. Yes, absolutely! Capturing girls’ views in the online survey doesn’t mean you have to remember everything - it’s not a test! At the end of the meeting, you’ll hopefully have a pretty good idea of which topics/issues really stood out for the girls, and what they felt a positive future might look like.

It’s a good idea to have one of the leaders or volunteers making notes to help you answer the survey questions, as well as the other sheets you collect in that girls write or draw on. If you’re leading the activities on your own, just note down as much as you can.

Q. I’ve also got some views on the subject, do I get to share them too?

A. Definitely! We’re also keen to understand what our unit leaders think about life for young girls in the UK today. We ask you questions about your views in the online survey too.

Q. I’m a unit leader for more than one unit and/or section. What do I do?

A. We’d be very grateful if you could do the activities and the unit leader survey for each of the units and/or sections you lead. We realise it’ll take more of your time, but we’d really like to capture as many young members’ views as possible. We really appreciate your support.

Q. How will the survey findings be used?

A. We’ll use the findings as our foundation to influence the people who matter, like the government, to improve the lives of girls and young women in the future. All the information we gather will be confidential and anonymous.

Please don’t worry if you haven’t done anything like this before, that’s absolutely fine. As a unit leader, you’re already great at listening to your members’ thoughts, feelings and views. By recording them in the survey, you’re helping Girlguiding shape a better future for girls and young women.

From Girlguiding, a big thank you in advance for taking part in this important project! 😊

If you have any questions about the Future Girl project, please email [email protected]

of 7

1. Quotes capturePlease use this blank sheet to note down any quotes/interesting things you hear your girls say during the activities.

of 7

2. Issues chosen and performedPlease use this blank sheet to write down the issue each group chose to improvise their scene around as part of the future activity, their ideas for tackling this issue, and any other notes about their performances.

of 7

3. Other notesPlease use this blank sheet to write down any other notes you may want to refer to when you’re filling in the online survey.

of 7

Brownies activity plan

45 mins

© Girlguiding 2018 Registered charity number 306016.

Before the meeting Lay out the statement and emoji sheets around your space.

Note to leader What you should explain to girls is laid out on the left, with delivery notes for you on the right.

What you’ll need •Scenariosheetswithemojiimages•Pens,pencils,sharpeners• Issuessheets(A4sheetwithlistofissues

and images)•Asmartphone,tablet,laptopordesktop

computer for the online survey afterwards – it would be good if you could fill it in as soon as possible after the unit meeting

How you’ll gather members’ opinions •Notegirls’responsestotheinitialquestion.•Countemojiresponses.•Notetheissueschoseningroupwork.•Notewhatgirlssay.•Notetheissuesgirlsmostwanttochangeinthe

future activity.•Usethenotesabovetofillintheonlinesurvey

after the unit meeting.

Aim of activityTo give girls the chance to express their views on the issues they care about, so we can help them bring about positive change, both now and

What to doIt’sgreattoseethatwealllikedifferentthings:that’s

whatmakestheworldexciting.You’regoingtomovearoundtheroomwhileIcalloutlotsofdifferentactivities.IfIsaysomething you enjoy doing, stop moving andholdupyourarms.Ifit’ssomethingyoudon’tenjoydoing,keepmoving!

Nowwe’regoingtohave athinkaboutgirlsand

youngwomen,justlikeyou,and thekindofissueswefaceintheworldtoday.Lookaroundthespace–you’llseelotsofsheets.Eachsheethasa sentence and three emojis on it. Read eachsentenceandthinkabouttheissueit raises. How important is it to you and howdoyoufeelaboutit?Putatickbytheemoji that shows how you feel.

Onceyou’vereadthemall,choosethethree issues that are most important to you and draw a heart on their sheets. Remember, there are no wrong answers andit’sfineforustohavedifferentviews:everyone’sopinionmatters.

We’veexploredsome important issues, but there

arelotsofothers.Canyouthink ofanywe’vemissed?

1

2

3

Delivery note Calloutanyoftheseactivities(feelfreetoaddothersoraskgirlsforsuggestions):playing sport, watching movies, eating vegetables,dancing,horse-riding,lookingafter animals, spending time with your family, playing with your friends, canoeing orkayaking,usingalaptoportablet,tidying your room, doing maths, painting pictures, writing or drawing, doing science experiments,goingfornaturewalks,listening to music, doing gymnastics, makingupstories.

Delivery note Before girls start reviewing the sheets, explain that there are three emojis on each–theyshouldthinkaboutwhetherthestatementmakesthemfeelhappy,neutral or sad.

Delivery note Notedownanyadditionalissuesgirlsthinkhavebeenmissed,andalsomakeanoteofanyinterestingquotestheycomeupwith.Attheendofthesession,collectinalltheemojisheetswithgirls’ticksandheartsonthem:you’llneedthesefortheonline survey.

5 mins

10 mins

5 mins

Nowimagineyou’ve travelled to the future, and

areinchargeofthiscountry(thefuture could be tomorrow, or yearsfromnowwhenyou’reanadult–it’suptoyou).Thinkbacktothethingswe’vetalkedabout:whichoneissuewouldyoumost want to change or improve, and how would you do it?

Let’sshareyourideasin a creative way that lasts

just30seconds.Youcouldimprovise a 30-second drama around your chosen issue, or perhaps create a 30-second news report. Or maybeyoucouldmakea30-secondadvertisement telling the public about your issue and what needs to be done about it.

It’stimetoshareyourideas! We’lltakeitinturnstodo

our performances. Remember to tell us what your issue is, what you’vechosentodo,andhowyou’regoingtomakethingsbetternowthatyou’retheonesincharge!

4

5

7

6

Delivery note OrganisegirlsintoPatrolsandgiveeachacopyoftheissuessheet.Intheirgroup,they should decide which issue they most wanttochange.Whilethey’reworking,listen to their views and note down any interestingquotesthatyoucanincludelater in the online survey.

Delivery note Makesureeachgroupchoosesanactivitythat would fit well for exploring their chosen issue, and help them discuss how totackleit.

Delivery note Attheendofeachperformancemakea few notes about the issue they have decided to perform and their ideas fortacklingtheissue,includinganyinterestingquotes.

10 mins

10 mins

5 mins

Yourideashavebeenfantastic!PeopleinGirlguidingwillusewhatyou’vetoldmetodaytotalktothegovernmentabouttheissuesthatreallymattertoyou,andthey’ll

passonyoursuggestionstoo.Remember:youhavethepowertocreateawonderfulfuture,foryouandforgirlsaroundtheworld–andthat’swhatthisisallabout.

I want to live in a world where…

there’s support for girls and young women to eat healthily

and exercise


everyone can afford the things they need


people care about the environment and recycling


there’s no bullying


school subjects aren’t seen as ‘for girls’ or ‘for boys’


animals are looked after properly


girls and young women can choose to do any job they want


people with disabilities are supported to do the same things as

people who don’t have a disability


TV, films and adverts show that girls and young women can do

anything boys can do


girls and young women feel comfortable asking for help if they’re feeling worried or sad


people of different cultures and backgrounds are

treated equally


girls and young women feel confident to express their opinions and feel listened to


girls and young women always feel safe when they are

out and about or at home or school


girls and young women don’t feel they have to worry about

the way they look


girls and young women have amazing women they

can look up to


girls and young women are supported to do any sport they like

future girl - girlguiding.org.uk · the future – and celebrate what’s great about being a girl!...

Documents