SGG Gains Insight into Global Guiding Practices with UK Visit

Sharjah Girl Guides (SGG) is set to benefit from the latest developments in Girl Guiding following its delegation’s recent visit to the UK. The field trip from the organisation’s representatives was conducted with the aim of gaining insights into the best practices in the Girl Scouting Movement and to explore potential areas of mutual cooperation.

Comprising Shamma Saif Al Suwaidi, Programmes and Events Assistant Manager; Eman Mohammed Al Ali, Marketing Assistant Manager; Eman Humaid Al Ali, Senior Event Coordinator and Salma Ahmed Al Hashimi, Events Executive, the SGG delegation travelled to the UK as part of the organisation’s commitment to forging partnerships with international Guiding Movement groups for the exchange of culture and expertise.

“SGG’s visit to the UK aligns with the policy adopted by the UAE in general and Sharjah in particular to support and develop the Girl Guiding movement. It also supports the vision of the emirate’s wise leadership, which seeks to reinforce the Guiding and Scouting sphere and to promote it as a worthy culture in the community,” said Shaikha Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Manager of SGG.

“This visit formed part of our efforts to foster a culture of Guiding through gaining insight into the latest practices in the field of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting and to acquire more expertise that will lead SGG to outstanding levels of innovation and creativity. This valuable experience has enabled us to start implementing the latest international Guiding practices at SGG,” she added.

“Through this visit, SGG sought to communicate with global organisations in the field, enter into rewarding international partnerships, and to exchange culture and expertise with our peers abroad. We also wanted to create direct communication methods that would hone the skills of our girl guides through the array of educational workshops and programmes featured as part of the visit’s programme,” she noted.

The SGG delegation’s itinerary featured a number of outdoor activities and educational workshops, starting with a visit to Pax Lodge, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts’ (WAGGGS) World Centre in Hampstead, North London, where the representatives took part in its summer programme.

Included in the event were educational activities that addressed the fundamentals of the scouting movement and its history in different countries. Also featured were sessions on ‘Community Service,’ ‘Leadership Challenges,’ and an interactive activity that explored Pax Lodge. The delegates attended the closing ceremony of the summer programme with participants from other countries.

SGG’s delegation also visited Girlguiding, the UK’s national guiding association, to explore avenues of joint cooperation and the available programmes on offer from the organisation. The visit built on SGG’s hosting of a delegation from Girlguiding last March, which aimed to enhance collaboration in the field of Girl Scouting and Guiding and develop the process of cultural exchange between Girl Guides in the UAE and the UK.

During its stay in the UK, the SGG delegation took in a number of museums, including the Natural History Museum in London with its ‘Sensational Butterflies’ exhibition and the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world's largest museum of decorative art and design.

The delegates concluded their UK tour with a visit to the UAE embassy in London, where they had an audience with His Excellency Sulaiman Al Mazroui, UAE Ambassador to the UK. The meeting saw the parties explore joint cooperation through future programmes and visits by the SGG team and their Girl Guides. The delegates expressed their appreciation to the embassy’s staff for their efforts that had contributed to the success of the trip.

Through its visits and other events, SGG seeks to enhance partnerships with international organisations with the aim of gaining insight into the latest and best Guiding practices. The organisation strives to create promising generations who are able to acquire knowledge, excel in science and the arts, hone their talents, develop their capabilities and reinforce the values of collaboration and team work.

SGG’s excursion programme is founded on the principle that exchanging cultures and creating bonds and friendships with different countries is essential to acquiring a greater degree of expertise that will enhance the Guides’ self-confidence and inspire them to excel as the leaders and innovators of the future.