Girl Guides goodwill campaign to benefit families across country

By Brendan Grehan

Two Lucan girls helped launch a national goodwill campaign last Sunday that will benefit families and communities throughout Ireland.

Over National Good Turn Week which runs until December 3, Irish Girl Guides in every county of Ireland will carry out 84,000 good turns.

Girls from age five plus are voluntarily tidying up their toys, picking up litter and saying something nice to cheer up a friend, while older girls are completing a range of kind acts – from offering to get groceries for an elderly neighbour, packing Christmas presents for those in need, donating blood or supporting a charity.

Two members of Lucan Brownies (Brownies is the IGG branch for 7- to 10-year-old girls), Rebecca Cable (age 10) and Ruby Martin (age 8), helped launch National Good Turn Week at the Gaiety Theatre.

They were among 1,100 IGG members to attend an exclusive performance of the Gaiety pantomime, Robin Hood, following the Good Turns launch.

IGG Chief Commissioner Helen Concannon told The Echo: “Good Turns are at the heart of what Girl Guiding is about,” she said. 

“When girls become members of the Girl Guides, they promise to help other people and to do at least one Good Turn every day.

“The important thing is that these are tasks which a girl has not been asked to do – they are not chores, but something she notices needs to be done and she just does it.

“This is a skill we need all young people to develop – to be active citizens helping others in their communities.” 

Irish Girl Guides welcomes girls from age five plus and volunteer leaders from age 18 and over.

To find out more, see www.irishgirlguides.ie or tel: 01 6683898.