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Unit roles

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A Young Leader and a group of Brownies holding hands in a circleUnit Leaders and Assistant Leaders

Unit Leaders and Assistant Leaders are appointed by the appropriate Commissioner. The Commissioner must be satisfied that the Unit Leader and Assistant Leaders:

  • enjoy working with young people
  • are willing to support the aims of Girlguiding UK and to abide by its policies

Unit Leaders are women aged between their 18th and 65th birthdays who have completed the relevant recruitment procedure and are willing to complete Girlguiding UK’s Leadership Qualification and are willing to make or renew the Promise.

Please note

Assistant Leaders are women aged 18 and over who have completed the relevant recruitment procedure and are willing to complete Girlguiding UK's Leadership Qualification. 

 

Unit Leader

The Unit Leader is responsible for the running of the unit. She:

  • encourages all members to share in the decision-making of the unit.
  • shares appropriate tasks with the Assistant Leader(s), Young Leader(s) and Unit Helper(s) to ensure the smooth running of the unit.
  • completes parts 1–4  of the Girlguiding UK Leadership Qualification
  • wears guidewear appropriate to the occasion or activity.
 

Assistant Leader(s)

The Assistant Leader is a member of the Leadership Team and supports the Unit Leader in running the unit. She:

  • completes parts 1–3 of the Girlguiding UK Leadership Qualification
  • wears guidewear appropriate to the occasion or activity
  • may also share tasks with other members of the team.
 

Young Leader

The Young Leader is a member of the Leadership Team. She:

  • is usually aged between her 14th and 18th birthdays
  • may choose to complete either the Young Leader Qualification (14–16) or the Leadership Qualification from the age of 16. If she completes the Leadership Qualification before her 18th birthday she will receive a Leadership Qualification certificate and badge. When she reaches 18 she automatically becomes a qualified Unit Leader or Assistant Leader.

If a Young Leader chooses not to complete her Leadership Qualification she can remain with the unit as a Unit Helper from her 18th birthday onwards.

 

Unit Helper

Unit Helpers are women or men aged 18 and over.

Unit helpers provide valuable support to the Leadership Team in a unit. An adult wishing to become a Unit Helper has an informal meeting with the appropriate Commissioner. Unit Helpers:

  • are members of Girlguiding UK
  • are aged over 18
  • may be female or male
  • are willing to support the aim of Girlguiding UK and to abide by its policies
  • complete the relevant recruitment procedure (see above).

Unit Helpers carry out specific duties agreed with the Unit Leadership Team, but are not responsible for planning or carrying out the programme.

A female Unit Helper, as a member may:

  • wear a raspberry badge tab
  • make or renew the Guide Promise and wear the Promise badge
  • wear the adult membership badge
  • wear items of members’ wear (available from the online shop).

A male Unit Helper, as a member may:

  • wear a raspberry badge tab
  • wear the adult membership badge
  • wear items of members’ wear (available from the online shop).

Occasional helper

Other adults may help in the unit on a temporary or rota basis. For example, a local expert may come and share a skill or knowledge with the unit, or the Unit Leader may set up a rota of parents who can help every so often. Occasional helpers may be members or recognised volunteers. They need not complete Girlguiding UK’s recruitment procedure, but any helper who does not do so must not be left unsupervised with girls or young women.

 

Residential occasional helper

Residential occasional helpers attend holidays or camps. They need to complete reference and criminal record Disclosure checks.

 

Rainbow Helper and Pack Leader

As part of their programme, Guides can offer to help at their local Rainbow or Brownie unit. This helps them begin to understand the role and responsibility of being a Leader. In the Rainbow unit they are referred to as Rainbow Helpers and in Brownies as Pack Leaders. Ideally a Guide will not become a Pack Leader in her former Brownie unit until she has been at Guides for a set period of time, agreed with the local Leadership Team.

 

Page last updated: 3/6/2012