The leader of a Girlguiding group in Walkden has issued a plea for more volunteers in order to keep branches across Salford open.
Chris Mazeika-Rimmer, growth coordinator for Girlguiding Manchester West and Salford, says the crisis has left the future of Salford’s largest girl’s youth organisation unclear.
Girlguiding is a vital part in the lives of thousands of young girls across Salford, with more than 1,600 waiting to join a group.
The groups offer key social development, growth opportunities and skill building from ages four to 18.
Chris said: “We give them new adventures, we offer lifelong memories, and there’s so many other positive things.
“We try and empower them to make a difference into their world.
“But the volunteers are absolutely essential, and without the volunteers we can’t really do it.”
The volunteer crisis caused Chris to turn to Facebook, calling for helpers to keep the local Rainbows group open.
Chris said: “It’s not just Walkden. It’s the whole of Salford. It’s Eccles, it’s Irlam, Cadishead, and that’s just looking at the Salford area as well.
“Covid was a big shocker for everyone. It resulted in lots of people giving up volunteering and doing other things. So we had a real big uphill battle to try and stabilize things and then start to grow again.”
Chris is adamant that the organisation is a necessary and beneficial tool for young people to socialise with other children and try new experiences, including drone building competitions and Blue Peter appearances.
Chris is enthusiastic about unplugged youth spaces, arguing that the need for organisations like Girlguiding has only increased with social media’s rise in prevalence.
Role models are in short supply, says Chris, and now more than ever children need to meet “ordinary people.”
“It’s a time when they can be without the social media and their peers are without their social media,” she said.
“It’s a time when they can really shine but get to try other activities. They are totally engaged.”
This crisis threatens not only the development opportunities of thousands of girls, but the stability and safety net relied on by their families.
Ellie-Jean Hardman, a former member of Salford Girlguiding from age four to eleven, eagerly spoke of how her time in Rainbows, Brownies and Guides shaped her into her adolescence, and the relief it offered her working parents.
Ellie said: “My mum and dad worked quite a lot, so I found it gave my mum that break she needed in the week to get her bearings and sort everything out.
“I’ve got two little brothers as well, so it’s a lot on my mum, I feel like it gave her a break.”
She said: “I was always having such fun, it was a good way for her to get things done and me to enjoy myself and socialise with other people. It really helped making friends, especially before high school.”
Ellie echoed the sentiment put forward by Chris about children needing time away from screens, saying that social media can be toxic, and any time away from it is beneficial so they can socialise face to face.
Chris remains optimistic about the organisation’s future despite the uncertainty, and even previewed upcoming recruitment plans, including poster campaigns and letters to parents, urging those available to volunteer.
More information about Girlguiding in Salford can be found on their website.
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