GFS Regional Fun Days give girls a chance to make new friends and try new things in a safe environment, by bringing girls together from multiple neighbouring groups. Thanks to those who donated to our Big Give match-fundraiser, we were able to raise enough money to hold these special events for girls from groups all over England.
“Meeting together like this helps the girls to realise they are part of something bigger than their own group. Friendships between groups can build up over time.” – Pam Hutchison, GFS Eldon Group Leader
On June 15 2024, girls from four GFS groups in the North East of England came together at Pittington Village Hall in County Durham to make new friends and have valuable new experiences.
GFS Regional Fun Days are specifically designed with girls in mind.
Last year we held our first North East Fun Day since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic. This year we used girls’ feedback from 2023 to create activities with them in mind – creating a more girl-shaped event.
We started the day with lots of ice-breaker games to help the girls get to know things about each other, including lining up by height, age, name. Other games were designed to get girls up and talking to each other, such as seat swapping if you have a sister or if you play sports.
“I liked seeing the girls from other groups.” – GFS girl
We also played a GFS favourite – ‘shuffle monster’. Shuffle monster is a regular game at our groups, allowing girls to bond with a game they all know and love.
GFS groups and events work hard to provide girls an environment where they feel safe to try new things.
Last year, girls told us they wanted to try new things and try their hands at baking – so we booked sessions with locally owned businesses, Creative Creatures and a Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience.
During Creative Kitchen’s Willy Wonka Experience, girls enjoyed baking a brownie by following a recipe. They even decorated their own chocolate boxes and golden tickets!
Girls helped each other throughout the activity – girls who were good at mixing and pouring helped the younger girls. There may have been a few misplaced cracked eggs on the table, but girls were able to try again and perfect the brownie mix.
“The Creative Kitchen Willy Wonka Experience was fantastic and made the whole village hall smell amazing and chocolatey!” – Charlotte Hunt, Head of Operations for the North
The Creative Creatures session gave girls the opportunity to interact with different animals and step out of their comfort zones. The facilitator, Amanda, had a warm and welcoming style, encouraging the girls to take part, without pressuring them to do anything they are uncomfortable with. The animals included stick insects, owls, guinea pigs, spiders and snakes!
“We should do this more often!” – GFS girl
Girls also decorated their own t-shirts, ending the day with snacks, certificates and fond farewells – we cannot wait for next year!
Thank you, once again, to all who donated to our last Big Give match-fundraiser. Your donations help us make events like this happen, by covering things like the cost of travel for girls, venue rental, materials, and more.