My name is Christine Snuggs and I've lived in Calverton over 40 years.
I've been running the Brownies in Calverton for about 35 years. I first started, well I was a Brownie myself and a guide, and I got so much out of guiding that I always said that I would put something back whenever I got the chance, and it just happened that I was at my son's sports day at Sherbrooke school and I heard some ladies talking saying that the Brownies would have to close if they didn't get any more leaders, so I stepped up and said, "Oh I'd like to help." And that was it. 35 years later I'm still running the Brownies, but having really enjoyed all of it, great fun with the girls, giving them chance to have lots of opportunities to learn how to get on with each other and learn lots of life skills, leadership skills, having fun together going on trips and holidays, all sorts of experiences for the girls. Over the years, I don't know how many girls that have passed through Brownies, but hundreds it must be. And it's nice in the village you still see some of them, and they still say hello, and say they remember their time in Brownies.
One memory, which didn't really involve me, but one of the Brownies, we were celebrating 100 years of Brownies, the Brownies Centenary, there was a garden party at Buckingham Palace, and all the girls could put their name in a hat sort of thing, you know, apply to go. And one of the Brownies from Calverton actually got picked and went down to London with her mum to the garden party […] claim to fame.
The Brownies always take part in the Village Get Together every year in May, which was started a long time ago. First of all, we used to go with the toddlers and we used to have a stall, and obviously the Brownies always march. That's a big event every year. And then we always have the parade for remembrance Sunday, that the Brownies always take part in.
The Village Get Together is to raise funds for the guides and scouts in Calverton. We're very lucky that we've got the old Labray school, which was left in a trust for the use of guides and scouts in Calverton. And there's a big field at the back, and they have stalls so that all the groups can raise money. They have an arena where they have lots of events; gymnastic displays, sometimes dog shows, circus skills, the school's take part, dancing display, all sorts of things. And it's usually really, really good afternoon. It starts off with the parade all around the village […]
What activities do you do with the Scouts and Brownies?
Oh, well, lots of things. They learn First Aid skills, they lear practical skills, safety in the home. They learn exploring outside, investigating things, experiments, crafts, singing, games.
Do you know how long does the Scouts and Brownies have been active in Calverton for?
I would say 60 years at least. Remember, we celebrated 50 years of Brownies in Calverton, and that was quite a while ago, so it must be over 60.
How many leaders are there currently?
Me and my daughter, and my granddaughter is in Brownies as well […] it's a family thing. We've got two mums that come every other week, and then we've got another lady that's going to do the leadership training.. And then we've got a 14-year-old young leader who's been with us for quite a while. We get leaders sort of come and go. We usually manage. It's getting harder and harder to find leaders.
[People haven't] got so much time, you know, as they used to have- now, you know, most moms are working full-time, so it's difficult, but we manage.
Do you think that's something that has changed kind of as Calvertan has maybe become a bigger town?
I think so, when I first started, there weren't so many people working full-time [so] people have got more time to volunteer. People will come and help. We don't have any trouble getting helpers every week, but it's actually been, you know, the actual doing the leading.
We've had quite a lot of new leaders, and especially the rainbows. They've been doing quite well [new] leaders. They've got lots on the waiting list. [We need] another rainbow unit open for all the girls to get a chance to join.
It's great that there's a big demand for it, and why do you think that is?
Well, I think it's just a nice safe space for girls to get together and have fun with their friends and learn things, do things they perhaps wouldn't get the chance to do. In a fortnight, we've got a trip to the Sherwood Observatory. We're going to go there, somewhere where we've not been. We'll have trips to the climbing centre, the forest school, the adventure gold. They've done football skills … all sorts of things.
We like to [give girls' a voice and let them say what sort of things they're interested in so they can choose what they'd like to do, and then we try and fit in. Sometimes we can't do it if they want to go to America! It's just fun. When all the girls keep coming back for more.
My favourite part of it is actually being with the girls on the Thursday evening, or all the trips and things. The least favourite thing I would say is all the paperwork or the form filling in that we have to do these days. But that's another, you know, we didn't have all that to do when I first started.
We've got a supporters association in the Village that are really good. They help us with the fundraising. They see to the running of the building anything that needs to do in the repairs and fire safety checks, window cleaning, all sorts of things. They support us with that so we've not got that worry. We just have to pay a nominal, you know, a sum of money every term for the use of the building and cleaning money. And that's it. So we do really appreciate the supporters, and everybody that comes to support the Village Get Together.