On the 19 and 20 May 2012 a thousand members of Girlguiding Oxfordshire, from rainbows aged five to the more mature members of the Trefoil Guild, got together for a celebration of the Queens Jubilee which included fun, challenge and adventure. The buzz of children having fun filled the air.

The event took place at Jubilee House Girlguiding Oxfordshire’s own guide house and campsite. Whiling having fun celebrating the Queens Jubilee they were also raising money for a new amenities block for the camp site at Jubilee house. The current house was opened in 2006 after over five years of fundraising to replace the original house that had been condemned. With a nice new house for holidays those using the camp site complained where were their new facilities. It is currently a basic site with the only amenity being a water tap. As is the guiding way Girlguiding Oxfordshire have taken up the challenge and are currently working towards raising the £80,000 required to build an amenities block. All money raised from the Diamond days will go towards this current challenge.

Guides from 2nd Bicester, who have camped at the site said that using a loo tents (a small tent with bucket/ let for a toilet) is it not nice. They said it smells and does not feel hygienic when you have to go on top of the last person’s doings. Others from 1st Leafield Guides said that loo tents are not very private and they are not sound proof. They would prefer to have proper facilities especially when you are camping for a long time. Interestingly none of them mentioned the need to empty and clean them.

Leaders and instructors once again gave up their weekend to run sessions and activities for everyone to join in. The rope bridge built by the pioneering team proved popular with all age groups. One guide was full of excitement and joy after trying abseiling and managing to get her feet higher then her head.

Crowns were made and warn with pride and a team of very busy people painted flags onto faces throughout the day. Felt, card, sequence, ribbons and glue were turned in to owls, flowers and badges, while others cooked dampers and marshmallows over an open fire. Blowing giant bubbles was not as easy as it looked but was great fun.

A lot of tired people returned home after an exhilarating day, memories stored for another time, seeds of new friendships planted and lots more to look forward to on another day. If you would like to know about Girlguding Oxfordshire Please visit our website. http://www.oxfordshiregirlguiding.org.uk NOTES TO EDITORS: Girlguiding UK is the UK’s largest voluntary organisation for girls and young women, with 538, 247 members and recognised volunteers. Over a third of girls and young women (aged 7–21) in the UK are involved in guiding, or have been in the past. We run Rainbows (5–7 years), Brownies (7–10 years), Guides (10–14 years) and Senior Section (14–25 years), enabling girls and young women to develop their potential whatever their ability or background. We are striving to offer new opportunities to a broad diversity of communities through our expanding network of more than 63,000 trained volunteer Leaders.

At Girlguiding UK we seek to give girls a voice and provide a unique, girl-only space where they feel comfortable just being themselves. Our members, challenged by a girl-led programme that extends beyond badges, enjoy a spectrum of activities from international travel and outdoor adventure to pop-concerts and community action.

Girlguiding UK, part of a worldwide movement of approximately 10 million girls and young women in 145 countries, celebrated its Centenary in 2010. Registered Charity No 306016, www.girlguiding.org.uk Based on information supplied by Lisa Cook.