Jan Anning, Vice President of North West England, GirlGuiding UK, recently spoke to Soroptimists in South Lancashire at their regional programme action meeting. Drawing on the similarities between the two organisations, Jan gave an account of present-day Guiding and her aspirations for the future.
Soroptimist International is developing a working relationship with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), to the benefit of both organisations. Soroptimists and Girl Guides feel strongly about the same sort of issues and want to give something back to the community. Both worldwide organisations seek to make the world a better place for women and girls.
Many Soroptimist Clubs are planning collaborative projects with their local Guiding network. Soroptimists’ experience in skills such as presentation and interview techniques, for example, could be utilised to mutual advantage.
South Lancashire has the advantage of a specific contact with Guiding through Eileen Griffiths, Programme Action Officer for the region, who has longstanding connections with Guiding. She will be putting this experience to good use, on behalf of Soroptimist International, as the UK Programme Action Committee’s link with GirlGuiding UK.
WAGGGS is the largest voluntary movement dedicated to girls and young women in the world. GirlGuiding UK is the United Kingdom’s largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women: its strapline is “Girls in the lead”. Soroptimist International is the world’s largest classified service organisation for women. It is committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide. Both international organisations have formal links with the United Nations, to promote the needs and interests of women and girls.