Good Guiding Fund support for international trips
This strand of the Good Guiding Fund exists to supports units, districts, divisions or counties to take part in trips that involve travelling abroad with young member.
Grants of up to £500 are available to to help with to 3 of the following:
- Official Girlguiding uniform (1 item per person only)
- Travel costs including airport transfers
- Accommodation
- Catering
- Activities while abroad
Eligibility criteria
- The fund is open to Scottish units, districts, divisions and counties.
- Funding can only be used to support trips taking place after 1 July 2026.
- You can apply for funding if you already have permission to plan and REN part one signed off when your application is submitted. If you only have permission to plan, your application will be refused.
- You can only reapply for funding if your last Good Guiding Fund grant was offered before 19 July 2024 and you completed the associated evaluation form.
- Adult only trips are ineligible for funding.
- We will only consider 1 application per trip. If multiple units are taking part in the trip, please work together to coordinate your application. This helps to ensure we aren’t double-funding anyone.
- You can apply for up to £500 spread across up to 3 categories of support.
- Successful applicants will need to return an evaluation form within 6 weeks of the trip taking place. If you fail to complete the evaluation form, you will need to return the funding to Girlguiding Scotland.
- Units can’t be in receipt of Good Guiding Fund funding for general costs and international activities at the same time.
Guidance – how to maximise your chances of success
Your application should include when, where and how you will be travelling. It should also give us an idea of the benefits girls will get from taking part in the trip.
If applying for accommodation, travel costs, catering or activities, give as much detail as you can and include a per head cost. If applying for uniform costs please tell us what items you plan to use the funding for.
Please don’t apply for trip-specific wear as we will only fund official Girlguiding uniform.
The most common reason for refusing an application is that it’s been submitted too early. You can only apply once REN part one has been authorised by the international commissioner and Scottish and Scottish chief commissioner. This is the stage after permission to plan. Find our international REN timeline here.
How to apply
Applications are now closed.
We’ll aim to let you know the outcome of your application by 2 April.
If you need any help to complete the application from or have any questions not answered here, please contact us.
Good Guiding Fund
This funding aims to help deliver good guiding, whatever that may look like in your area.
The Good Guiding Fund is now closed for applications.
Important dates for applicants
Units, districts and divisions can apply either for a £500 grant toward an international trip involving girls or up to £500 across 3 of the following categories:
- Meeting place rent (6 months maximum)
- Official guiding uniform (1 item per person max, official Girlguiding uniform only)
- If you are applying on behalf of a unit you can apply for subscriptions for girls
- Resources (including programme materials, badges and equipment)
- Leadership activities including trips for girls
- Training for adults
- Recruitment activities
- If you’re applying on behalf of a district or division, you can also apply for a contribution toward thanks and recognition activities
Counties can only apply for a £500 grant toward an international trip involving girls.
Support to apply
Click the buttons below to read more about each branch of the fund. As well as more information about who can apply and when the funding must be used by, you’ll find sample applications and a blank template form to help you prepare your application.
Apply for support with international Apply for support with other costs
Read more about how the fund has been helping units
Registering as a charity, charity compliance and Gift Aid
Registering as a charity and completing your annual return
Being a registered charity can have a few benefits. It allows you to register to claim Gift Aid (please see below) and can mean that you have a wider choice of free banking options. It may also make your unit eligible for some external funding. If you would like to register your unit as a charity please use these guidelines to help you complete the OSCR online application form.
You can find information and a step by step guide on how to complete your annual OSCR return here. This guidance also contains help for registering your charity trustees (a new legal requirement for all charities in Scotland). Please be aware that from 2026 all accounts submitted to OSCR as part of annual returns, will be available as part of the charities listing on the register without redaction. Make sure that you only upload what is absolutely necessary, to ensure that you are not sharing unnecessary personal data
Registering for Gift Aid
Registering for and claiming Gift Aid can be a great way to boost your unit’s income without charging extra. For every £1 you collect as subs, you can claim an additional 25p. Learn more about what Gift Aid could do for you and your girls here.
To claim your unit must first be a registered charity. Once you have received your Scottish Charity number (SC0xxxxxx) from OSCR you can then register with HMRC for Gift Aid. You can start collecting Gift Aid declarations before you register for Gift Aid. After you register, claims can be backdated for up to 4 years – so make sure you’re not missing out on claimable funds.
To start the Gift Aid registration process, you’ll need to first complete the Scottish Gift Aid Certificate and send it to Girlguiding, before you register with HMRC. You can find the full process here.
Girlguiding units that are already claiming Gift Aid can use the Small Donations scheme. Within certain parameters 25% tax can be reclaimed on small donations under £20 where there is no signed declaration, such as bag packing.
If you have any questions about charity registration or claiming Gift Aid, please get in touch with the governance and compliance team on governance@girlguiding-scot.org.uk.
Choosing a bank account
The Girlguiding finance policy allows counties, divisions, districts, and units to open an account with any bank or branch as long as it is a recognised and well-known brand. The bank must also be part of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and a registered banking organisation. The FSCS will protect funds of up to £85,000 in the unlikely event of a bank or building society failing.
A bank account should be in the name of the unit or level, as it appears on GO. If the name of the bank account and the unit or level is different, and this causes issues, the commissioner can insist that the bank account name is changed to match the name of the unit or level, as it appears on GO. A bank account must never be in the name of an individual.
Over the past couple of years, more banks are differentiating between organisations that are registered charities in their own right, and ‘community organisations’. This means that units, districts and divisions which are not registered charities, are finding that they are being charged for banking services.
We’ve pulled together information which we hope will be helpful in selecting a bank account. We’re not recommending any bank over another, and levels are free to choose to bank with institutions not on this list.
Bank of Scotland/Lloyds charity account
Bank of Scotland/Lloyds community account
Charities Aid Foundation Bank
Co-operative bank
HSBC
Royal Bank of Scotland
Unity Trust Bank
Virgin Money
Conditions and benefits vary, and can change over time, so check directly with the bank you’re considering opening an account with. We’ve highlighted the main features of current accounts from institutions that have strong links to the voluntary sector, or who have a presence in Scotland.
If you have any questions about unit finances, email the governance and compliance team on governance@girlguiding-scot.org.uk.
Managing unit finances
As we all know it is vitally important that all money that is paid to units, and that everything the unit spends is recorded, accounted for, managed and budgeted.
To make sure that your unit has the required funds to cover all of the costs throughout the year, we would encourage leaders to agree on a budget before the start of the year. This will also help you to know how much to charge parents. We’ve created a handy tool to help with this.
We’ve also created 2 templates to help units manage the income and expenditure throughout the year, which will then feed the information into the final end of year accounts documents.
We have a template for units that use a bank account or bank accounts and run a cashbook (units that take in and payout in cash).
Download the unit accounts template
We have another for cashless units (by cashless we mean everything gets paid into the bank account, and paid out by transfer, debit card or cheque, but you may still take in money in cash).
Download the cashless unit accounts template
Both of these templates comply with OSCR requirements, and can be used by units that are registered charities and those that are not.
At the end of the financial year all units must submit accounts through their area’s local procedure, in line with the Girlguiding finance policy.
All units must submit:
- A statement of receipts and payments with prior year comparatives
- A statement of balances as of the last day of the financial year and opening balances
- Notes to the accounts
- An independent examiner’s report
Units which are registered charities must also produce and submit:
- A trustees’ annual report
- A statement of receipts and payments with prior year comparatives
- A statement of balances as at the last day of the financial year and opening balances
- Notes to the accounts
- An independent examiner’s report
For levels that are registered charities please be aware that from 2026 all accounts submitted to OSCR as part of annual returns, will be available online on the charity’s register entry without redaction. Make sure that you only upload what is absolutely necessary, to ensure that you are not sharing unnecessary personal data.
Girlguiding have produced a checklist for independent examiners to ensure that they are checking all of the elements of the accounts which are required. You can find this here.
Alongside submitting your unit accounts, we would also encourage you to complete and submit a unit financial information checklist which capture’s all of the information about the unit bank accounts, and charity registration.
Download the unit financial information checklist
You can find information to help you choose a bank account here.
If you have any questions about unit finances, email the governance and compliance team on governance@girlguiding-scot.org.uk.
Lead volunteer for young member recruitment
The role
We’re looking for a Girlguiding Scotland member to take up the newly created role of lead volunteer for young member recruitment. The role will help Girlguiding Scotland support volunteers in areas where there is a need to recruit girls to ensure units remain open or where extra support is needed to respond to long waiting lists.
The key skills and attributes that we’re looking for in this role are:
- Membership of Girlguiding
- Committed to our values
- Experience in 1 or more of the following areas:
- Recruiting young members (through social media, community events or other means)
- Providing opportunities for new young members to join (eg. opening new units, flexible guiding such as weekend, holiday or hospital-based guiding)
- Managing young member waiting lists
- Using GO data to create a local growth plan
- Engaging with girls on the waiting list
- Capacity to be proactive and involved between meetings to progress pieces of work that will help local volunteers welcome more girls into Girlguiding
- Enthusiasm for social media and a willingness to contribute to online content (such as Facebook lives, short videos or blogs) with support from our staff team
- Ability to think of the bigger picture for the benefit of members and potential members across Scotland
- Approachable and open minded, and able to work with others
At Girlguiding Scotland, striving to be an inclusive an impactful organisation is at the heart of what we do. We recognise that being a great volunteer isn’t just about the skills that you can bring to the table, but also the unique perspectives that come from your background and life experiences.
Apply now
Find out more and download the application pack today.
Get more info
If you would like to have an informal chat, please get in touch with Susan, Susan@girlguiding-scot.org.uk, lead volunteer for membership development and growth or Louise, Louise@girlguiding-scot.org.uk, head of membership development and growth.
PRA network coordinator
The role
Are you looking for a new volunteer role? Are you passionate and knowledgeable about communications and PR and want to help support our network of county communication and PR advisors (PRAs) across Scotland?
The key skills and attributes that we’re looking for in this role are:
- Approachable, creative, open minded and flexible
- Willing to support the mission and objectives of Girlguiding Scotland
- Passionate about promoting Girlguiding Scotland
- Be able to communicate with a wide range of volunteers
- Be able to work collaboratively with staff
At Girlguiding Scotland, striving to be an inclusive an impactful organisation is at the heart of what we do. We recognise that being a great volunteer isn’t just about the skills that you can bring to the table, but also the unique perspectives that come from your background and life experiences.
Apply now
Find out more and download the application pack today.
The application deadline is 11.50pm Sunday 8 March.
Get more info
If you would like to have an informal chat about the role with Eleanor, lead volunteer for membership engagement and member communications, and Sarah, digital marketing officer, please get in touch on sarahr@girlguiding-scot.org.uk.
Girlguiding Scotland values inclusivity, and so we welcome requests for support or reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process. If you need any support to complete your application please contact sarahr@girlguiding-scot.org.uk.
Volunteer Recruitment Project FAQs
What is the volunteer recruitment project?
The volunteer recruitment project is a 3-year project which aims to get more people volunteering with Girlguiding across Scotland. Staff and volunteers will be working together to create recruitment plans, test out creative and tailored approaches to recruitment and connect with external organisations that could help us reach more potential volunteers. We’ll also be exploring how we can improve the welcome and induction we give new volunteers and creating resources and training to help support and increase the confidence of our existing volunteers in relation to recruitment and welcome.
We’ve been involved in development work projects before. How is this different?
This project is more ambitious – over the next 3 years we hope to see a positive impact in every county. We’ve already reached out to every volunteer centre, college and university in Scotland to start building on the local connections that already exist and that’s just the beginning.
This project will be more tailored – we need to adapt how we approach recruitment and welcome to the needs of local areas and to those of the people we want to welcome into guiding. We’ll be testing our new approaches to see what works best in different communities.
This project will be more visible – we’ll be sharing what’s happening as it happens through our project Instagram, Girlguiding Scotland newsletters and webpage. We’re also keen to get out and talk about the project at your events so let us know if you have something happening we could join.
This project will be more of a partnership – each area joining the project will be asked to make a commitment of 6 months initially and the recruitment plan we create together will have shared goals and timelines attached to it. We’ll agree togeth
How can my area get involved?
We’re looking for district and division teams to join the project now. This is a Scotland-wide project so it’s not confined to particular locations. We might have to prioritise areas initially if there’s lots of requests to join the project but we’d like to see districts or divisions from every county involved. You can contact growth@girlguiding-scot.org.uk to set up a chat with a member of the team or you can complete our expression of interest form.
Is this project only for areas of deprivation?
No, this project isn’t restricted to areas of deprivation. To join the project, your area just needs to be in need of more volunteers, be open to trying new things and be able to appoint a project lead volunteer who will work with us to create and deliver a recruitment plan. We’d expect to work with each area for a minimum of 6 months.
What level of commitment is needed from areas joining the project?
We would anticipate working with each area for at least 6 months, however, this will vary depending on the needs of the area. Each area joining the project will be asked to appoint a lead volunteer. This is someone who can make decisions on behalf of the district or division in relation to volunteer recruitment and welcome. This person will be responsible for keeping the rest of the district informed and engaged in the project. They’ll also act as a link between the project and the county team.
As well as having a lead volunteer, each area will ideally appoint a small team of enthusiastic people who can share ideas and support the activities we agree to try through the project. We’ll be looking to work with people who are open to new ideas (and revisiting some old ones) and willing to share local knowledge and experiences.
Areas joining the project will work in partnership with members of the Scottish staff and volunteer team to create a recruitment plan and agree some goals for the next 6 months initially. Once you’ve created your plan, you’ll agree together who will do what by when. As an example of the support you can expect to receive to deliver your plan, our Volunteer Recruitment Officers can help with reviewing processes, clearing volunteer enquiry backlogs, creating recruitment adverts, attending events, making links with external organisations and delivering welcome activities. The project team will get together online or in person regularly to share updates and check things are on track.
Each area will also be asked to evaluate the support they’ve had from the project. This is really key to ensuring we learn as we go and continue to improve the help we offer.
We already have lots of ideas but lack time. Can a staff member put them into practice for us?
Our volunteer recruitment officers will absolutely be able to help put your ideas into practice. We’ll work with you to create a shared recruitment plan and as part of that process, would ask you to be open to feedback based on what we have learned from other areas, projects and organisations. This will make sure we’re maximising the chances of the project being a success in your area. We’ll need you to appoint a lead volunteer who can communicate with us regularly. Each area would ideally also appoint a small team of volunteers who can work alongside our Volunteer Recruitment Officers for 6 months initially and this is something we can help you do before creating a recruitment plan. Once the plan is in place, we’ll agree with you, who will do what and by when and confirm how we’ll keep you updated on progress.
What is a volunteer recruitment officer?
Volunteer recruitment officers are staff who have been employed to help local volunteers with creating, tailoring, and delivering, recruitment and welcome plans. They’re available to attend recruitment and networking events, both online and in-person, during the week as well as evenings and weekends. They will make connections with external organisations to help reach more potential volunteers and will share opportunities with local volunteers. They’ll also be listening to our existing members and creating resources and trainings in response to their needs to help make recruiting and welcoming new volunteers easier.
How much input will we have if we join the project?
We want this to be a partnership between Scottish staff and volunteers and local district/divisions teams. Your local knowledge and ideas are key to making the project a success and we’ll work together to create a plan tailored to your area’s specific needs. You’ll be asked what you think is realistic over the next 6 months initially and we’ll set some goals based on your insights. Each area participating in the project will be asked to evaluate the support they’ve had so we can continually look for ways to improve.
I can’t be available during the day. Can our area still get help from the project?
Our volunteer recruitment officers will work around your schedule, offering flexibility with evening and weekend availability. They can also support you by attending daytime events or supporting with administrative tasks related to volunteer recruitment that you may not have time for. We’ll ask you about your preferred ways to keep in touch too to make it easy to stay in contact outside of meetings.
I’m not sure if our area should join the project. Can I talk it through with someone?
Absolutely! You can contact us on growth@girlguiding-scot.org.uk to arrange a zoom call or alternatively call or text our Volunteer Recruitment Officers Ali (07949900250) or Leah (07495975509).
Can individual units get involved in the project?
We’re initially focusing on working with district and division teams to make sure that recruitment plans are linked to a plan for welcoming new volunteers. However, this could look different from area to area – in practice it might just be a small number of units within a large district or division that needs volunteers, for example. In such cases, we’d be happy to work with a group of leaders from these units as long as a member of the district or division team is happy to appoint a lead volunteer for the area’s involvement. We’d suggest having a chat with your commissioner initially to check whether they’ve already expressed interest in joining the project.
Can we still run our own recruitment drive?
Yes, you can absolutely run your own recruitment drives. We’re here to help though so reach out if you’d like help from a member of the team. We can help with creating adverts; posting on social media; making displays for recruitment events; ordering printed recruitment materials or finding communication templates to support warm welcome and much more!
Will staff be able to help manage volunteer enquiries on GO and/or complete ID verification?
Our volunteer recruitment officers have access to a staff version of GO. This is slightly different to the volunteer version in that it allows them to see volunteer enquiries from all over Scotland. They will be able to follow new enquirers through the recruitment process from enquiry to membership. There are some limits though and our recruitment officers cannot currently hold the ID verifier role as staff members. We’re talking to Girlguiding about a workaround for this as we understand that this is something that they could usefully help with.
I’m not currently attached to a unit but would be interested in supporting the project in some way. Can I help?
Yes, whether you’d like to share an idea or a contact you think we should follow up or are interested in potentially joining the project team as a specialist volunteer in the future, please get in touch at growth@girlguiding-scot.org.uk
What support is available for county teams?
While our volunteer recruitment officers will mostly be working directly with districts and divisions, we’re keen to make sure our county teams are supported too so please reach out if there’s something we might be able to help with. Examples of support we can offer include: creating role descriptions and adverts for county growth roles/ teams; clearing volunteer enquiry backlogs; helping you to update your warm welcome activities/ processes; delivering growth-related trainings or briefing your commissioners on the project.
Which volunteer roles will the project be trying to fill?
The results of our unit recruitment needs survey showed that there is a need for both girl-facing unit-based roles and behind-the-scenes supporting roles so the project will focus on recruiting people into both. Creating a recruitment plan will involve thinking about what roles need to be filled and how best we can do that.
Scottish awards committee chair
The role
We’re looking for a new chair of our awards committee. The committee are responsible for promoting a culture of thanks and recognition for volunteer across Scotland. By volunteering as chair of the awards committee, you will help to ensure that volunteers in Scotland are thanked and their contributions celebrated.
The key skills and attributes that we’re looking for in this role are:
- Membership of Girlguiding
- Highly enthusiastic with the ability to engage, inspire and motivate others.
- Articulate and confident when speaking to others in 1-2-1 and group settings, whether face to face or remotely.
- Approachable, open minded, and flexible.
- Organised and able to analyse large quantities of written information and match information to given criteria.
- Able to work as part of a decision-making team.
- Able to provide feedback in a clear and constructive way.
- Approachable and open minded, and able to work with others.
- Some experience in a chairing or coordinating role would be helpful but is not essential.
- Committed to our values.
At Girlguiding Scotland, striving to be an inclusive an impactful organisation is at the heart of what we do. We recognise that being a great volunteer isn’t just about the skills that you can bring to the table, but also the unique perspectives that come from your background and life experiences.
Apply now
Find out more and download the application pack today.
The application deadline is 11.59pm on Sunday 22 February.
Get more info
If you would like to have an informal chat, please get in touch with Erin, Governance Coordinator, on erin@girlguiding-scot.org.uk, who can arrange for you to speak to Elaine Rough, Scottish chief commissioner.
We’re looking for new partnerships
We’re Scotland’s leading charity for girls and young women, helping 40,000 young members grow in confidence, have fun and realise their potential. And we’re on the lookout for our next partner!
We’ve previously worked with organisations like the Walk, Wheel Cycle Trust, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Institute of Civil Engineers, Forestry Commission Scotland and Make Space for Girls on challenge packs and campaigns. We’ve also had great resources designed by our members, so if that’s you we’d love to hear about your ideas. If you’re interested in working with us to empower and inspire thousands of girls all across Scotland then please fill in our form below before Tuesday 31 March 2026.
If you have any questions or need help filling in this form email us on enquiries@girlguiding-scot.org.uk.