Join Rona and Tracey, our Chief and Deputy Chief Commissioners, on their adventures around our region
April has been a month of movement, momentum and meaningful moments across the Region.
From parades and meetings to county weekends and international celebrations, our Chiefs didn’t get to spend much time together this month but they have been out and about – supporting volunteers, representing the Region and championing opportunities for girls. Here’s what they’ve been up to.
Rona’s month started with a well earned break! A chance to recharge before diving into a full month of activity. Her break was followed by a weekend away at Hautbois Activity Centre, with Kelly for a Chiefs and Managers weekend. As always, the journey became a mobile office, with the pair managing to tick off several jobs on the way there and back. The weekend itself was a brilliant opportunity to connect, plan and strengthen leadership across the organisation.
This was followed by a full week of governance meetings, with the Region Health & Safety Board, the Region Trustee Board and the Girlguiding Operational Delivery Group (with fellow Chiefs) all meeting in the same week. The week ended with Rona joining Girlguiding Lancashire Border for the St George’s Day Parade in Bolton. It was a joyful celebration of community spirit, pride, and tradition — and a wonderful chance to meet members and volunteers from across the county.
Rona rounded off the month by spending time at Girlguiding Lancashire North West’s County Weekend, where she connected with leaders, celebrated achievements, and heard about county plans.
Tracey’s April has been full of forward‑thinking and planning, including: A Knowsley Safari Event planning meeting (and she looks forward to seeing lots of you on the Saturday of Operation Safari Conservation event next month). The Region Trustee Board meeting and several Gibraltar international trip planning meetings. These sessions are helping shape exciting opportunities for members in the year ahead.
Tracey joined Team ICE and Team Malawi at the Manchester Marathon, helping hand out bags at the finish line. It was a brilliant day of teamwork, visibility, and community engagement.
Later in the month, Tracey supported an international fundraiser in Girlguiding Stockport, working with leaders and girls to raise money and promote upcoming international adventures to Gibraltar, Armenia, and Sweden. A fantastic showcase of enthusiasm and guiding spirit.
Tracey also attended Girlguiding Stockport’s Brownies Fly High event at the Airport Visitors Park. There she spoke to the girls about her own journey — from apprentice at British Aerospace to qualified aeronautical engineer — inspiring the next generation with real‑life STEM pathways.
To finish off the month, she travelled over to Girlguiding Cheshire Forest’s Awards Event, where she had the honour of presenting Carol Ridley with a Region Chief Award and Nikki Barker with a Laurel Award plus several long service awards including three 50 year awards. A wonderful celebration of dedication, leadership, and service.
April has shown once again the breadth of work happening across the Region — from governance and planning to celebrations, parades, and hands‑on support for volunteers and girls. As we move into May, our Chiefs remain committed to championing youth voice, supporting counties, and ensuring every member feels valued and connected.
Join Rona and Tracey, our Chief and Deputy Chief Commissioners, on their adventures around our region
March swept by in a blur of activity for the Region Chiefs, who probably should have calculated their steps for the month just to prove how much running around they truly do.
Here’s a whirlwind recap of all the energy and excitement, as our Chiefs dashed from event to event, making a real difference throughout the region.
The month kicked off with Rona attending Girlguiding Wirral’s Thinking Day Event; arriving ready to dive in with enthusiasm with her trusty dancing shoes! She spent the day connecting with volunteers and young members – soaking in conversations about all the inspiring things happening across the county. It truly was a fantastic start to the month highlighting the vibrant spirit of our Girlguiding community.
Next up was The Future is Us Youth Conference, where Rona, Tracey and Kelly joined the event for its second consecutive year in celebration of International Women’s Day. Once again, our young members blew us away with their creative ideas and infectious enthusiasm, offering fresh perspectives for the Chiefs to carry forward. The chiefs listened intently, scribbling notes that will help shape the future of the region.
Tracey then attended the Region Award Committee meeting, where stories of inspiring nominees and proud achievements took centre stage. This month, we were thrilled to see three Region Chiefs Awards presented: congratulations to Claire Montado (Girlguiding Gibraltar), Lily Lloyd (Girlguiding Cumbria South) – our youngest ever volunteer to receive this award – and Vicki Noble (Girlguiding Cumbria South). Their dedication is simply legendary and their impact immense. We’re delighted to celebrate their achievements and contributions.
March also featured Tracey chairing the first Region Operations Board meeting of this year. This meeting brought updates from all corners of our operations – adventure, growth, marketing & communications, and rewarding, flexible volunteering. Each team has exciting events and activities lined up for the rest of the year ahead and beyond. We also gave a warm welcome to new and incoming county commissioners and staff members.
The month wasn’t all meetings. Tracey took in the Gang Show at Marple (Girlguiding Stockport), enjoying an evening of dazzling talent and sparkle. The Gang Show proved once again that Girlguiding boasts more hidden stars than the night sky.
Cityscapes Manchester was buzzing with activity as Tracey and Kelly supported this unique event. On Saturday, Tracey helped Kelly welcome participants to the central hub, where everyone learned how to make origami bees and collected their badges. On Sunday, Tracey juggled her Deputy Region Chief role with her unit responsibilities, showing just how manageable—and rewarding—that balance can be. Sally Kettle, Deputy Chief Guide (also known as the Princess of Girlguiding), joined Sunday’s festivities, cheering on participants and resisting the urge to adopt every unit she met.
March’s final weekend was a marathon of activity, all happening on the same day. Rona, Tracey and Kelly managed to squeeze in their quarterly strategic and operational catch-up meeting on the road, whilst driving to visit the 2027 international trip participants and leaders at Guys Farm Activity Centre, where the excitement was palpable. They then attended the Queen’s Guide Award Celebration event in Lancaster, where the stories from Queen’s Guide Award recipients were truly inspiring. Sally Kettle returned to our Region to entertain everyone with tales of adventure, and to congratulate all the awardees, celebrating their achievements.
Huge congratulations to everyone who will be offered a place in one of the international trips and to every person who celebrated their Queen’s Guide Award!
Rona and Tracey have spent March doing an amazing job of running the region – being everywhere, supporting everyone, and keeping their spirits high even when their calendars looked like a game of Tetris.
We can’t wait to see what April has in store!
Given that February is the shortest month of the year, we’ve certainly jam packed a lot into it! It’s been a month of celebrating the Girlguiding Spirit across the region and beyond. From the echoing history of Westminster Abbey to the windswept wonder of the Isle of Man, from Youth Voices shaping the future to Rainbows waving flags under the Gibraltar sun, this month has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Rona kickstarted the month at Girlguiding Manchester’s County Awards Celebration where she presented Gillian Lewis with a region Chief Award. Denton Golf Club was buzzing with pride as volunteers, leaders, and young members were recognised for their dedication and creativity. It wasn’t just an awards ceremony – it was a reminder of the extraordinary impact ordinary people make every single week.
Rona then headed off to London for the Operational Delivery Group meeting with HQ staff and the other country and region chiefs. They all gathered at HQ to keep the wheels of Guiding turning smoothly. It’s the kind of meeting that rarely gets a spotlight, yet it’s where strategy meets passion, and where discussions that empower thousands of members begin with a shared determination to make Girlguiding stronger, more accessible, and more exciting than ever.
Rona, Tracey, and Kelly (our Executive Manager) then headed to Waddow Activity Centre for a day with some of our regions Youth Voice (Empower) committee members. This meeting brought a different kind of excitement – one fuelled by ideas, debate and the unstoppable enthusiasm of the group. This was no ordinary meeting. We were discussing a blueprint for the future of Girlguiding North West England, and the message was clear: the next generation isn’t waiting to be heard, they’re already shaping what comes next.
A week later, Tracey’s work and volunteering collided, when she transformed the region office into a playground of possibility during the half term STEM Fun Day. From challenges to hands-on experiments, the day was a joyful reminder that science is all about curiosity, discovery and the thrill of trying something new. Young members attending the day left the region office with bright eyes, and the unmistakable glow of “I did it!”
We then had our remarkable virtual Voyage Under the Stars event to celebrate 100 years of World Thinking Day and to raise funds to support Girlguiding British Overseas Territories. Rona spent the day at the Thinking Day Service in Westminster Abbey, with some Guides and Leaders. Steeped in a thousand years of history, the Abbey held a different kind of energy that day as voices rose in reflection and celebration, you could feel the weight of the past and the promise of the future meeting right there in the heart of London. Tracey travelled to the Isle of Man for her Thinking Day – meeting members from the island as they embarked on their Voyage Under the Stars, under Mars, at Peel Cathedral. It was the kind of night that makes you feel small in the best possible way: connected to the world, to each other, and to the Girlguiding family.
And then, as if the month needed one more burst of brilliance, came Tracey and Kelly’s trip to Gibraltar for the Thinking Day parade. The warmth of the Mediterranean sun was matched only by the welcome from local Girlguiding members marching through the streets, sharing stories, swapping badges, and seeing the joy on the girls’ faces. This was Guiding at its most vibrant and international.
From London to the Isle of Man, from Manchester to Gibraltar, this month was one of connection and a celebration. It has shown us just how amazing it is to be part of Guiding North West England!