New Guide unit set up in Waringstown

2nd Waringstown Guide Unit now has 24 members and was formed due to demand from the village and the surrounding area.

The unit grew out of 1st Waringstown as organisers felt there were the numbers to justify forming a second unit. In all 16 girls were moving up from the Brownies and one Guide unit would not have been able to accommodate them all.

The unit is led by Jill Gardiner, Laura Robinson, Linda Ferguson, Wendy Hilditch and Alison Little with occasional help from Zoe McWilliams.

It’s a new leadership team with Robin Calvert looking after the Brownies - she also assists with the Guides.

The Guides cater for girls aged 10-14 with the Rainbows and Brownies there for younger girls. Older girls move on to the Senior Section of the Guides.

The unit meets each Wednesday night from 7.45pm to 9.15pm in the church hall on Mill Hill. 1st Waringstown meet on Tuesday nights.

Among the many activities on offer through the guides is the Go-For-It scheme which encourages girls to work together on a variety of activities plus, of course, the usual fun and games of a youth group.

Activities include cooking, swimming, trips to the cinema and activities to encourage personal development.

As one of the leaders explained: “If it’s fun for the girls then they want to do it and it gives them confidence.”

The unit draws membership from further afield than Waringstown, with members from Lurgan and Dollingstown who want to be in the same unit as their friends.

The girls are divided into patrols of their choosing and they love the wide variety of games on offer.