This term, the 1st St Minver Brownies chose to work towards their Charity and Kindness badges — two that complement each other perfectly. The charity they unanimously decided to support was Cornwall Air Ambulance.

After a lively group discussion, the girls decided to organise a Soup and Pudding Event. They carefully planned every detail, designing posters and flyers, and writing letters to local businesses requesting support in the form of raffle prizes or contributions such as tablecloths, bread rolls, soup ingredients, or pudding donations. The girls were completely overwhelmed by the generosity of the local community.

Cornwall Air Ambulance were delighted to hear that the Brownies had chosen to support them and kindly loaned banners, bunting, stickers, and wristbands to help decorate the mini community hub at Trewint Playing Field, Rock.

When the big day arrived, excitement filled the air as the Brownies gathered at the hub, ready to get to work. There was plenty to do before the doors opened to the public at 12 noon. Crockery, cutlery, and ramekins — generously loaned by Valley Caravan Park, Polzeath — needed to be unpacked. Tables were laid with crisp tablecloths, kindly provided free of charge by North Cornwall Linen in Wadebridge, along with flowers, menus, and Cornwall Air Ambulance leaflets. Cutlery was wrapped neatly in red napkins, and small ramekins were filled with butter cubes – kindly donated by Tesco Wadebridge and salt and pepper sachets — every detail thoughtfully planned and prepared.

Once everything was ready, the girls chose their roles for the day. Paige and Lillie took charge of the entrance and ticket sales, while Katy and Betsy ran the ever-popular teddy tombola. Grace and Mathilda arranged the impressive display of raffle prizes, some of which were kindly donated by the parents of the Brownies, alongside many generous contributions from local businesses. Prizes included a goodie bag from Ocean Blue, a beautiful vegetable hamper from Restharrow Farm Shop, and gift vouchers from The Dining Room, Sharp’s Brewery, The Waterfront at Polzeath, Robertson’s Jewellers, and Phillip Warren Butchers. A special highlight was a signed book from renowned chef Paul Ainsworth. The girls did an excellent job selling raffle tickets throughout the afternoon.

Meanwhile, at least five Brownies served as waitresses, warmly welcoming customers, taking soup and pudding orders, and ensuring everyone was well looked after. The delicious soup was perfectly accompanied by soft bread rolls, all kindly donated by Malcolm Barnecutt’s Bakery. There was also a marvellous selection of puddings on offer, many of which were generously provided by local businesses. Sincere thanks go to The Pityme for their indulgent Chocolate and Almond Torte, Fee’s Food for her rich and delicious Chocolate Brownies, Phil the Chef at The Point for his amazing very chocolatey Chocolate Brownies, and Grant, the chef at The Atlantic Hotel, New Polzeath, for his ever-popular Lemon Drizzle Cake and Blueberry and Chocolate Brownies.

Once diners had finished, the Brownie waitresses quickly cleared and reset the tables, ready to welcome the next wave of guests.

By 2 p.m., it was time to close the doors and begin the big tidy-up. The Brownies all rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in, clearing away tables and chairs, sweeping the floor, and packing away any remaining items that hadn’t been sold. Their teamwork and enthusiasm shone through right to the very end, ensuring the hall was left spotless after a busy and successful afternoon.

The Brownies worked unbelievably hard to plan, prepare, and carry out this event, and the leaders are extremely proud of how well they worked together as a team. Their dedication, enthusiasm, and teamwork were evident throughout the day. A special thank-you also goes to the wonderful adult helpers — Louise, Jessica, and Daphne — who kindly gave up their Saturday to support the girls and provide those all-important extra pairs of hands.

The event was a wonderful success, and thanks to the generosity of the community and a number of kind donations, an amazing £574.65 was raised for Cornwall Air Ambulance. The Brownies are absolutely thrilled with the total and are already planning a special evening to present the donation to a representative from the Air Ambulance team in the coming weeks — who they hope will also present each Brownie with her Charity Badge on behalf of Girlguiding.

If your daughter who would like to join the fun with us please register your daughter to secure a place at our unit. www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-for-parents/register-a-child

Or perhaps you would like to volunteer with us and whether you’d like to volunteer directly with girls or support local guiding in other ways, you’ll be helping girls build their confidence, have adventures and learn new skills. It doesn’t matter what your experience or background is, or how much time you have. Find out more about why guiding is great for girls and the impact you’ll be having.    www.girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved/become-a-volunteer/register-to-volunteer