Girl Guiding New Zealand – Ruby’s Bio

Check out what Ruby, one of GirlGuiding New Zealand’s fantastic student volunteers, has to say about being a volunteer in their organisation.

My name is Ruby, and I volunteer with GirlGuiding New Zealand. I’ve had many opportunities within GirlGuiding that have developed skills that align with my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations at Victoria University. One of my personal highlights was attending the High-Level Political Forum at the United Nations in 2017 as part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. I was able to do this because GirlGuiding has consultative status with the United Nations. I was also able to advocate to World Leaders on the Sustainable Development Goals and meet with the New Zealand Ambassador to the United Nations in New York. Furthermore, these amazing experiences contribute towards the Victoria International Leadership Program, that I am a part of.

I’ve been involved in GirlGuiding NZ since I moved to Wellington and it has been a great way for me to make friends in a new city and be active in the community. I began as a Leader in a Guide unit (girls aged 9-12) in Kelburn. It was really rewarding because I could see the girls develop as we did different activities and, as I grew in confidence, I was able to run more activities and develop my own leadership skills.

My favourite activity was when we went to a sleepover at the zoo. It was really fun and an experience I’ll never forget. The girls learnt about conservation, how to protect endangered species and were even given the opportunity to help feed the animals.

Every new leader is assigned a mentor. My mentor was really helpful when I was new to my unit and answered any questions I had. She has continued to support me further developing my leadership skills and challenging myself to take on different roles within GirlGuiding New Zealand.  I now coordinate the Young Leaders in the Wellington Region. I support them when they start and ensure they feel comfortable in their roles.

GirlGuiding has been around for 110 years, and it remains a revolutionary organisation supporting girls and Leaders to develop their potential and challenge themselves in a supportive environment. Around Wellington, girls aged 5-17, meet once a week during school term-time in groups according to their age. These girls need new volunteers to get involved, so GirlGuiding can continue running its programs for years to come.

There are heaps of different ways to be involved in GirlGuiding. You can make a weekly commitment to a unit of girls, or you can be a volunteer on a casual basis. You can also volunteer as a coordinator of other volunteers or offer a particular skill that you are interested in.

Republished with permission from GirlGuiding New Zealand. Visit www.girlguidingnz.org.nz for more.