At 2nd Lady Bay Brownies, we have started this term with a real desire to make a difference in our local community but also to our planet.
The girls are working hard to earn their ‘Take Action’ badge and, as we tackle the difficult subject of climate change, we have and will be doing lots of activities that can have a real impact.
It can be quite daunting for younger children to know what they can do to bring about change but we want the girls to be inspired and see how, even at their age, they can drive change through their own actions and by influencing others.
In our first meeting this term, we talked about how the RSPB was founded, about how one lady brought about the change in fashion to stop the use of bird feathers in their hats, resulting in birds such as the Great Crested Grebe being saved from extinction. The Brownies made hedgehog homes re-using cardboard boxes and we also had a discussion on greenhouse gases. We talked about how so many of the items we use every day are produced using fossil fuels, their effect on the environment and what can be done about it.
The following week, the Brownies, undeterred by the rain, collected soft plastics from Lady Bay residents. They took them to the new recycling bin at our local Co-Op where they will be sent for sorting and recycling (soft plastics are not currently collected as part of the council home recycling scheme). We filled an entire roll cage from just one collection; plastic that would have otherwise ended up in landfill, or burned in the local incinerator, releasing greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
In the coming weeks we will be doing a litter pick, learning how we can all make choices towards living more sustainably, influencing our community with ideas to reduce waste in our daily lives, understanding the difference between needing something and wanting something and having a lot of fun along the way. Each Brownie will then make a pledge to ensure we are Taking Action and so that they can feel proud of their achievements.
Girls in Brownies have incredible experiences together, make brilliant friends and discover the world around them. Every time they meet up, groups of Brownies learn new skills and take on challenges as they work out what they want to be and do – now, and in the future.
To find your local Brownie unit and register your daughter so she can join, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk