Volunteer Spotlight: Jade

Meet Jade, our events coordinator extraordinaire! Jade is a great example of the fact that you don’t need to be involved in a unit to support our team. Jade uses the skills from her job as an events manager to support & run some amazing events for our members.

Read below to find out what joining #TeamGlasgow has meant to Jade

How long have you been in guiding?

Since January 2016, one and a half years so far!

What got you involved in the first place & why do you stay involved?

I work alongside Girlguiding Glasgow’s County Commissioner Jill Elborn in my day job and she convinced me to get involved to put the skills that I use in work to use out with the working world. I have always been interested in hearing her guiding stories and the amazing experiences she has encountered and I wanted to be involved in something in a voluntary capacity but I thought that it would take lots of hours that I wouldn’t be able to commit to.

The role that I have in guiding is really flexible, the hours that I volunteer isn’t set each week so I can really work it around my professional and personal life and still give a significant contribution towards guiding.

You’re currently the events coordinator – What does your role do & how can you help other members of Girlguiding Glasgow?

In my role I am responsible for planning all of the County level events such as last year’s County Camp Rockin’ Rio and the annual county celebrations for World Thinking Day which I do by leading a small events team. In addition I support any other events that are being organised by other volunteers by being a member on various event planning groups and I have recently helped a guide leader achieve an element for her Queens Guide Award through inviting her to be a member of an event planning group and mentoring her.

What is the best bit about your county role?

The flexibility! Unlike other roles in guiding, I am not committed to a set number of hours per week. I also love volunteering on the event day to see our planning become a reality and watch members enjoying the activities that I have planned for them.

What do you do for a day job?

I am an Event Manager for Glasgow City Council, so I have a role in planning and delivering all of the major events that take place in the city. I love my job and the skills that I use are transferable into guiding.

What else do you do in Guiding?

I am also a member of the County Executive Committee where I help make big decisions on the governance of the county.

What would you say to someone thinking about volunteering (not just for guiding)?

Volunteering is so rewarding and can be flexible, you get out of it what you put in. With a very busy job, I didn’t think that I had any spare time in my daily life to fit volunteering in however my role in guiding allows me to fit it around everything else that I do. I have really enjoyed making new friends and contacts and guiding isn’t anything like I thought it would be!