🌟 A Year of Adventure, Friendship & Community – Knutton Brownies Round-Up!

It’s been another busy, joyful, and adventurous year for our Brownie unit here in Knutton! With 11 brilliant Brownies attending regularly, we’ve had a stable, happy group who’ve enjoyed a packed programme full of learning, creativity, and fun.

We’re incredibly lucky to have a strong leadership team keeping things running smoothly. Carla and Amanda continue to do a fantastic job leading the unit, with valuable support from Assistant Guider Laurie Till and our ever-reliable treasurer Yvonne, who also steps in when we’re short-handed. We’re grateful too for the ongoing support from Joan and Susan, and this year we were delighted to welcome two Duke of Edinburgh volunteers who completed their award placements and chose to stay on as Young Leaders!

🎉 Spring Term Highlights: Music, Culture & Community Spirit

Between January and April, we celebrated Chinese New Year with themed crafts and activities, and the girls began working on their Brownies Have Adventures – Explore Skills Builder Level 3.

We enjoyed a couple of fantastic musical evenings, where the girls created their own instruments and even learned to play tunes using chime bars. A true musical milestone!

Our unit also got involved in the local celebrations for Knutton Church’s 150th anniversary, helping to create a beautiful display of handmade paper flowers and learning songs to sing during the weekend festival. Sadly, the celebration was cut short by an unexpected mini tornado that swept through the village on April 15th, causing significant damage to the church roof and grounds. Despite this, we were proud of the girls’ creativity and efforts in contributing to such a special event.

☀️ Summer Term: Nature Walks, Line Dancing & Outdoor Fun

The Summer term was all about getting outside and making the most of the sunshine. We completed our Explore Skills Builder badge and started working on the Skills for My Future badge. Some of the highlights included:

• Taking part in the church’s summer concert 🎤

• A nature walk around Podmore Nature Reserve 🌿

• An outdoor games night full of laughter and energy 🏃‍♀️

• A fun American Independence Day celebration, complete with traditional sports and even a bit of line dancing! 🇺🇸👢

• Rounding off the term in style with the Division Treasure Hunt Walk and chips at Apedale Country Park 🍟🗺️

During the holidays, we also secured a new temporary venue at the Cornerstone building in Knutton, as the church was closed for essential repairs following the storm damage.

🍂 Autumn Term: Skills, Giving Back & Festive Fun

The girls returned in September full of enthusiasm. We completed the Skills for My Future badge and earned our Be Well Interest Badge, including a very lively evening learning different dances from around the world.

We also began our Be Well First Aid Skills Builder Level 3, where the girls loved practicing their bandaging skills on each other – future lifesavers in the making!

Other autumn highlights included:

• Learning basic sign language 👐

• A moving Remembrance evening 🕯️

• A sponsored walk to raise money for Children in Need 🐻

• A festive trip to the Hanley Museum panto to see Aladdin 🧞‍♂️

• Taking part in the Millrise Residential Village Christmas concert 🎶

• And of course, finishing with our very own Christmas fun night to wrap up the year with laughter and celebration 🎄

🌈 Looking Ahead with Pride

It’s been a wonderful year, full of variety, growth, and community spirit. We’re incredibly proud of everything our girls have achieved and the memories we’ve made together.

Girlguiding is thriving here in Knutton, and that’s down to the dedication of our amazing volunteers, the support of families, and—most importantly—the energy, creativity, and kindness of our brilliant Brownies.

Thank you to every leader, helper, and young leader who has given their time to support the unit this year. Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, and your impact is huge. 💜

Here’s to another fantastic year of guiding!