TWO leaders of 1st Melksham Brownies are celebrating 30 years of service with the pack; they are also calling for more leaders to step forward to enable more girls in Melksham to join.
Brown Owl, Bev Viveash, has been a leader of 1st Melksham Brownies alongside Tawny Owl, Lynne Smith, ever since the pack started in 1994.
“The highlight is seeing the girls change and develop,” says Bev. “They join us when they are seven and leave to go on to Girl Guides at 10 years old, they change so much in that time. We have done some lovely trips with them and an overnight stay. Trips have included Longleat at Christmas to go on the Christmas train to see Father Christmas and then stop off at Burger King on the way back. We have recently gone to Cadbury World and we have been to Bristol Zoo. We once went camping near Warminster; it was all the Brownies and Guides from Wiltshire who were there.”
The pack also supports local charities through a Bring and Buy Sale every year. “For many years, every year, the girls vote for a charity to support,” explains Bev. “This event goes amazingly well every year. The charities they have chosen over the years have been Dorothy House, The Royal United Hospital Cancer Centre, Wiltshire Air Ambulance, Alzheimer’s Support and Devizes Kats and Kits. The girls work so hard and seem to really enjoy this event.”
Bev says if there were more leaders to help out, more girls in Melksham would be able to take part. She explained, “We have always had a long and substantial waiting list ever since we started. There’s a high turnover of leaders usually because people’s situations change. It’s quite rare for the same two people to be running it right from the beginning for 30 years. The fact that we have both done it from the start is unusual.”
Next month on Wednesday 6th March, the two leaders will mark their 30 years with a special meal. “We’re planning to take the girls out for a grown-ups’ meal, they can choose from the menu what they want,” explains Bev.
“My favourite thing about helping out with Brownies is seeing the enjoyment on the girls’ faces whatever we end up doing and seeing them build new friendships there. I really enjoy getting stuck into a creative activity and working alongside them. When they go home, they say thank you at the end. It’s very rewarding.”
Tawny Owl Lynne Smith said, “I echo what Bev has said; I just love watching the girls grow in confidence and see them form friendships. They blossom in a different way in Brownies to what they do in school. I have also formed many friendships through being a part of Guides and Brownies and that’s something I find really valuable.”
“It’s such a lovely group,” says one of the parents, Shelley Hill. “They do so much with the girls. This is quite a big thing to be volunteering for that long.”
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