Being a guide shaped
who I am today
Louise Lithgow lives in Cookham with her husband and two children, Alice, who is five and in reception at school, and Henry who is 18 months and goes to nursery part time. She runs her own business, Go HR – a HR Consultancy supporting SMEs who don’t have an internal HR Department. She is now also becoming a Guide Leader in Cookham in her spare time because of the impact being a guide had on her own life...
'When I was a guide I used to help out with a local brownies group and really enjoyed it. I'm getting involved again now because I think it is a great institution to support. My daughter is also about to start Rainbows, which somewha rekindled by past love for the Guide Association.
'I have really lovely memories of my time as a guide and I believe that being a guide has had a positive impact on my life and has shaped who I am today. I went to my first guide meeting on 11th January 1985, and I still have my Guide Handbook. I was in the Nightingale patrol. I gained lots of badges and really enjoyed all the skills I learnt, and this eventually led me to get the Baden-Powell Trefoil badge. If it wasn’t for guides, I don’t think I would know how to iron a shirt properly!
'I will be leading the Cookham 1st Guides from the Summer Term. They meet on a Friday evening from 7-8.30pm in Cookham. I have always wanted to be a part of it, and now I have my chance to give back to a wonderful association in the area that I live. I really want to be a positive role model for girls and help them to enjoy it as much as I did.
'Guides is an association for girls to grow with. It starts with Rainbows at the age of five, at seven they can move to Brownies, and then from 10 the Guides group. It provides an opportunity for girls to learn new skills and does this in a fun environment. There is a mix of indoor and outdoor activities. I believe that Guides can have such a positive influence on your girls as they are going through some very challenging times as they become teenagers and all the homework and assignments for school. Guides provides a safe place for girls to grow and become the young ladies that we can all be proud of in our community.
'I am not alone in this and have some willing volunteers ready to help me out. Sam Liggins will be the Assistant Guide Leader and I also have helper Nicole Terry. There is quite a bit of training that we will all have to do, but we all come with bags of enthusiasm and drive to make this a great Guides Troop that has a positive future.
'I can't wait to put in place a really enjoyable and engaging program of events and activities. I want to provide a positive place for girls to come to and me and my team are all motivated to make sure that happens. We want to involve the current and future girls in shaping the guide troop to deliver what they want from the time that they spend with the Guides.
'I really want the local community to support the locals guides and would ask anyone to please get in touch with me if you can either spare time to become a helper with the troop or you have skills that you would be interested in sharing with a group of wonderful girls.'
Visit the Girl Guiding website at
If any girls are interested in joining Guides, this can be done by registering interest on the Girl Guiding website. Visit
If you want to be a helper, register your interest at
If you have skills you would like to share, please email louise@gohr.co.uk
To read about Louise's Go Hr business, click here
