On Saturday 8 July, GFS groups in the North East are having their first Regional Funday since March 2020. The event, in our Chester Le Street venue in County Durham, is their first big event since before the first Lockdown.
Prior to the Pandemic, girls from different groups had regular opportunities to meet, grow friendships and learn more about different people. Resuming these special events is so exciting for girls, volunteers, and staff too!
When we are able to run these events annually (without a pandemic getting in the way!), along with the Seahouses residential, they allow the opportunity for girls to make long standing friendships with girls from other groups.
-Jaci, Leader of GFS Pittington
Around 70 girls are joining in from Blyth, Chester Le Street, Eldon, Bishop Auckland and Pittington, plus staff and volunteers. And it isn’t just the girls that have longstanding friendships to build and look forward to, but many volunteers have built special bonds with each other over their time with GFS too.
All-in-all, it’s a huge community building event for girl children and adult women alike. But of course, GFS girls are the stars of the day. So, we’re inviting external facilitators to help ramp up the fun by sharing their special skills with the girls.
On the day, these facilitators will support girls to try their hands at drumming, Judo, and of course – crafts!
Hearing stories on past get togethers from GFS England President and Eldon Group Leader, Pam Hutchison, is making us even more excited for the festivities to begin.
Each girl had made a crown to wear on the day. They all took part in the parade to show case their crowns. It was a wonderful display of creativity.
Over the previous years, the main emphasis was to give the girls a taste of the different activities to widen their experiences. This took the form of Craft projects centred on powerful women from the North East.
-Pam
Other past activities include, dance workshops on ballet, street dancing, disco dancing and easy ballroom dancing. And craft activities such as jewellery making and creative icing, plus an outdoor day at Barnard Castle where girls climbed and did outdoor cooking and games.
We know it’s been a difficult few years for girls, which makes this funday all the more special. It’s a day for girls to just be girls. By being who they are in a space where they feel safe mixing with their peers, they’ll get to build their social skills, all while encouraging self-growth.
What is really great about these days is when you watch a girl grow in confidence. She may be faced with an activity which is out of her comfort zone, builds up enough courage to try and finds she really enjoys it.
Sometimes it is the girl who is watching others try a new challenge. She may not have the confidence to have a go herself, but can see what needs to be done and can give sensible instructions to help others complete the challenge.
-Pam
Thanks to last year’s International Women’s Day match-fundraising campaign through The Big Give and additional support from the AAP for making this special day possible. We can’t wait for the day to start!
In the mean time, you can go back and have a look at how girls in the south and Midlands got on with their regional funday, also funded by The Big Give.
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