It all started with an email...
Fancy becoming a Hive admin? We're looking for the 2019 Hive team!
Written by Izzy Attwood
Hello! I'm Izzy and I'm the Chair of the Queen's Guide Working Group who created the amazing Hive project in 2018.
For the past 10 months, that group of Girlguiding members making their way through their Queen's Guide Award have been busy creating, launching and running The Hive - Girlguiding LaSER's communications offering for members of The Senior Section, Rangers, and the 18-30 age group.
Since the Hive launched we've had blogs about mental health awareness, ways to reduce plastic waste, blogs about visiting the Houses of Parliament, Christmas crafting, international trip reports and more. We've also introduced our first member created blog series - Woman of the Month written by Sophie, which we know will continue to inspire. All this and we've only been truly live since mid-September!
But our tenure as Hive admins is ending, and in April we'll be stepping aside to allow a new group of members to take over and leave their own mark on this exciting new offering.
What makes this such a great opportunity? From completing Element 4 of your Queen's Guide to packing your CV with a whole host of key skills, we could list some plain old bullet points, but the best way to sell it is to show you what some of the 2018 Hive admins have to say about the experience!
Carmen, Sussex Central County
"Being a part of creating this has been amazing! Not only have I met a whole bunch of new like-minded Girlguiding people in the same region, but I have been able to improve on skills and qualities through doing this. My most notable moment was pitching the idea at LaSER HQ, which was a big deal for me as I do not like to stand in front of other people and be a focus, so to be able to pitch with the team and be successful in our pitch was a great feeling, and a personal achievement for me. The bonus is it works out great for Element 4, which is one of the toughest elements to work on!"
Kat, Sussex Central County
"It's mad and sometimes stressful and brilliant. Receiving a badge that I helped design and plan requirements for was exciting. Can't wait to put it onto the camp blanket!"
Miriam, Girlguiding London Over the Border county
- A good Element 4 if you're doing exams/at uni/busy, as most of the work is stuff you can do at home, and we meet over Skype.
- You have real content to show for your work (useful if your QG assessor likes evidence).
- Discuss different experiences of guiding across the region.
- A great Element 4 if you’re a creative person as there is the opportunity for writing and designing.
- Analysing, discussing and improving on other people’s work.
- Develop skills in research, design, communications (all good stuff for the CV!).
- Pitch to region, but nothing too intimidating.
- You’re part of an ongoing project.
Izzy, Sussex East County
In March 2018, an email flew into my inbox which caught my attention. The subject "Region Working Group Opportunity - Element 4" revealed very little, but the fact that it revolved around that coveted Queen's Guide Element 4 - so simple and yet so devious - made me instantly open it.
Since opening that email I've done so much I've never done before.
I've worked with an amazing group of young women from all over LaSER to bring forward our own ideas, combine and pick out the best parts, turn them into surveys, get feedback from members all over the region and eventually gather everything we had created and turn it into a proper idea. It's so easy to forget just how large our region is, but it was super fun getting to know everyone and discussing what we all do differently and what stays the same, even if you live on the other side of the region!
Though the pitch in London was nerve-wracking it was also a great confidence boost to know they loved our idea as much as we did. Finally meeting the people I'd been chatting with online for months and having a picnic in the park in the middle of a heatwave was super fun and I won't soon forget it.
Overall it's been an amazing learning experience: creating something completely from scratch, finding out what works and what doesn't - and being okay when it doesn't - and taking an idea which you think might be good and making it great. I've gained skills in teamwork, overseeing meetings, logistics, blogging, social media management as well as a little graphic design. When I started my new job in June (which is social media related) my now boss directly referenced this project as one of the reasons I was considered, so that's the power these projects can have!
Being a Hive admin sounds great! But what exactly will I be doing?
What you do in your admin role will vary. You could monitor incoming blogs and make sure they make their way onto the LaSER website once they're looking perfect. You could be in charge of overseeing social media posts on Facebook or Instagram, getting involved with members and crafting social media posts they'll want to engage with. Or you could create a new role that will increase the Hive's presence. If there's something we haven't thought of yet, now's the time to make it happen! Ultimately, you'll be working as part of a team to take what we've created to the next level - what that entails will be something you can decide as a team based on your existing interests and skills.
You don't need any previous experience - you just need to be creative, passionate and excited about putting your own stamp on an ongoing project. Depending on your role and how involved you want to be, you could put in as little as an hour or two a week, making it great for fitting around work, education, guiding and normal life! There's a whole bunch of support available from LaSER, and if you've got questions further down the line the original gang will only be on the next flower over!
We'll also be looking for a super Queen Bee to be the 2019 chair. As chair, you'll be responsible for overseeing the other admins, assisting in any aspect of the blog/social media process, liaising with the lovely people at LaSER, organising any group meetings, and basically being the point of contact for anyone else involved in the project.
Okay, I'm sold. How do I get involved?
Whether you want to be our new chair or a Hive admin, get in touch!
To apply to be a Hive admin, tell us who you are and why you want to get involved with The Hive. Let us know the skills, experience and interests you have that make you right for the team, and tell us what you hope to gain from being involved. You can write a statement of up to 250 words, film a video of up to 30 seconds, or try something else - so long as you tell us the above, you can get as creative as you want!
To apply to be the chair of The Hive, we want to know the above (relevant skills, experience, interests, and hopes for your involvement in the project), but we'd also like you to give us one or two ideas for where you'd like to take the project next. A new regular blog series? Vlogs? Something else? Tell us what you'd do if you were chair! Again, you can do this in a written statement, a video or something else - just make sure it's no longer than 500 words or one minute thirty seconds long.
How you present your application really is up to you. Last year, I decided to present my statement as an infographic rather than a written paragraph! We really just want you to show us your creativity and suitability.
This opportunity is open to any member of LaSER aged 14-30. Send applications to communications@girlguidinglaser.org.uk by midnight on 4 April 2019.
In 2018 it started with an email. In 2019, it's starting with a blog! If this sounds like something you'd love to be a part of, get in touch. We can't wait to meet you.
🐝 The Hive Team 🐝