Andy Munns
On Friday, 10th November, Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North, met with 15 girls and their leaders.
The girls came from all sections of Girlguiding South West England (Rainbows 4-7, Brownies 7-10, Guides 10-14 and Rangers 14-18) in Salisbury to celebrate UK Parliament Week.
They were also joined by Girlguiding South West England region ambassador Eleanor Wills.
UK Parliament Week (UKPW) is an annual event spreading the word about what Parliament is, what it does, and how people can get involved.
Those who take part receive a kit that helps them get informed about UK Parliament, taking action, and making an impact on the issues they care about.
The evening started with a game of ‘If I was an MP’, where girls could tell everyone what rule they would make if they had the power to do so. Answers included ‘sweets for every Rainbow’ and ‘PE all day at school instead of lessons’ as well as ‘free public toilets for everyone’ and of course ‘every girl should have the chance to be a Rainbow or Brownie’. The girls then had some time to do some UKPW activities, including building Big Ben out of spaghetti and marshmallows, and designing posters for change.
There was then the chance to ask Caroline, who is the chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, questions about her role as an MP. We talked about having anti-bullying ambassadors in schools, how there can be a wider visibility of women in politics as well as the reasons Caroline wanted to become an MP and serve Romsey and Southampton North.
Reflecting on the questions, Caroline said “Parliament is for everyone. It matters to me that you have a range of people and experiences in Parliament”.
Eleanor, the region’s ‘Making a Difference’ ambassador, also talked about ways to get involved in local communities stating, “there is no such thing as being too small to make a difference”. She also encouraged girls to think about the small impacts that they can make on a day-to-day basis before reminding them that “everyone has had to start small and work their way up. Be part of history, be part of the political dialogue”.
Girlguiding is the UK’s largest youth organisation dedicated completely to girls. We would like to provide even more opportunities and experiences for girls and young women across our Region.
Our volunteers help local girls and young women enjoy a wide range of exciting activities, as well as acquire new skills and experiences – and have fun at the same time.
Flexible volunteering is highly encouraged, with lots of different roles on offer for those who want to take a more adaptable approach to Guiding.
Being a Girlguiding volunteer could see you going around the world accompanying girls on trips of a lifetime, spending a weekday evening helping girls learn a new skill or enjoying an action-packed outdoors adventure weekend as you make your own lifelong friendships.
There are lots of different roles to choose from to fit in with your lifestyle and we will provide all the training and support you need.
We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, ages, cultures, faiths and abilities. For more information about volunteering with Girlguiding, visit https://www.girlguidingsouthwest.org.uk/join-us.
