A Girlguiding volunteer for Wiltshire South, who lives in Radstock, Somerset, has been honoured for her work supporting girls and young women with a prestigious Laurel award.

Shirley Eve, Safe Practice Liaison Volunteer for the Girlguiding South West England Region, and Leadership Qualification Mentor for the County of Wiltshire South, was awarded the second highest discretionary honour in the organisation for her inspirational efforts. The Laurel Award is given to someone that has shown outstanding commitment to Guiding, who is a role model, team player and shows brilliant Leadership skills.

As a military/Veteran wife to her husband Nigel, Shirley would always continue her Guiding activities no matter where they moved. She has held a variety of roles at District, Division, County and Region level, putting 100% into everything she does and always putting others first. During the pandemic, despite working for the NHS herself, Shirley worked hard to keep her units running, introducing Guides and Leaders to the world of zoom.

As a previous joint County Commissioner for Wiltshire South, Shirley worked tirelessly to ensure that everyone was able to share memorable opportunities involving fun and friendships. Amongst many, one notable event included the opportunity for all sections and their Leaders to celebrate a Royal visit from Sophie the Countess of Wessex at Berwick St James, the County Activity Centre.

When the Girlguiding South West England Region was asked to set up a Safeguarding team, Shirley was instrumental in setting it up, working as part of a team and bringing a breadth of knowledge and expertise to establish the format of how this would look. Following this, she worked with the Girlguiding National Safeguarding team on the review of the Health, Safety and Welfare policy and has helped identify gaps in Girlguiding’s policies and procedures. At a more local level, Shirley has delivered many training sessions of County/Island Safeguarding leads, covering topics such as domestic A group of women wearing matching outfits

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Shirley is patient, friendly and approachable. Her honest, clear manner means that she can hold challenging conversations with those in difficult situations. She has always been ready to listen and offer support and has continually used her knowledge of Guiding to advise any adult or girl. A true Ambassador for Girlguiding, Shirley is a worthy recipient of the Girlguiding Laurel Award.

Laura Cottey, Chief Commissioner for Girlguiding South West England, said, “I am delighted that Shirley has been awarded the Girlguiding Laurel award. This award is given in recognition of exceptional service and Shirley has definitely given that. As a previous County Commissioner for Wiltshire South, Shirley has always kept girls and young women at the heart of all she does, and I know that her Guides will agree as she provides amazing weekly meetings for them. Shirley has also made a big contribution to Girlguiding across South West England supporting and ensuring that we care for all our members as a Safeguarding Volunteer”.

We would like to provide even more opportunities and experiences for girls and young women across our Region and with nearly 8,500 girls on the waiting list in the South West we are looking for new volunteers to join in the fun.

By giving just one or two hours a week, being a Girlguiding volunteer could see you going around the world accompanying girls on the trip of a lifetime, spending a weekday evening helping them learn a new skill, or enjoying an action-packed outdoors adventure weekend as you make your own lifelong friendships.

Volunteering is flexible and doesn’t have to be a weekly commitment. There are lots of different roles to choose from to fit in with your lifestyle and we will provide all the training and support you need.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds, ages, cultures, faiths, and abilities.

For more information about volunteering with Girlguiding, visit https://www.girlguidingsouthwest.org.uk/join-us.