After a year of planning including two weekends and three days getting to know each other, our Midland Region group of 16 Rangers and 4 Leaders, with one Ranger and one Leader from Shropshire, set off on the flight from Heathrow to Belgrade where we were met by volunteers from the EcoCentre, Sremski Karlovski and taken by coach to the Centre (about an hour’s travel) where we stayed for our adventure.

We volunteered at the Nature Reserve 15minutes walk from the EcoCentre, on the banks of the River Danube, where we helped sanding and painting the picnic benches, open sided classroom and the bridge which a previous group had built. While one half of the group were busy with this, the rest of us moved the logs, branches and twigs which had fallen during a recent horrific storm….we loaded them onto a trailer and the tractor driver took them off site to be used locally. The following day the groups swopped over so everyone had a turn with both activities. We even made it into the Regional Newspaper!

This was the daily morning routine (we started early as temperatures reached 34degrees C some days.) Then in the afternoons and evenings we had a variety of activities including a visit to the Bee Keeping Museum, a walk up Mount Fuska Gora, time exploring Belgrade, Novi Sad and Sremski Karlovski, we learnt how to make Kuglof cake, had an International evening and a Board Games night with local volunteers.

It was an amazing adventure, with new friendships made, opportunities taken, and challenges overcome. Thank you to all who made it possible, all the people we met who made this so memorable, Concordia (the travel Company) and to Midland Region for allowing the trip to go ahead.

Look out for the next local, national and International opportunities and sign up for your own adventure – anything is possible.

We enjoyed a lovely walk along part of the Shropshire Way in Shrewsbury with trustees of the Shropshire Way Association(SWA) in February 2023 to celebrate our completion of the 200-mile Shropshire Way Challenge as a County. 

Jo Revell (county walking adviser) was presented with a framed certificate for Shropshire Girl Guiding and an A2 map poster of the route by Audrey Menhinick, Chair of SWA. We presented the four Shropshire Way trustees who attended the walk with a Shropshire Way badge each.

Shropshire Guiding recorded 112 different walks, and covered 513 miles or 2257 Guiding miles (i.e. the total mileage done collectively by all participants). We started the Challenge in February 2020 but this was extended from one year to three due to the pandemic. Overall, more than 116 members (10 from outside the County) have taken part, including 22 Brownie Guides, 29 Ranger Guides and 65 adult leaders.

There are still a few Shropshire Way badges available from Marion Wynn if you haven’t claimed yours yet.

The walking has been so enjoyable that a core group of volunteers are walking about twice per month, calling themselves the Shamblers. Any member of Girlguiding Shropshire is welcome to join any of the walks – contact Jo Revell for details jorevell1@icloud.com or 07834673204.

The next walking challenge is circular walks of any length to appeal to the variety of ages and abilities. This challenge is part of the Shropshire Circles Challenge. If you need help to work out a route for your unit just contact Jo Revell for help.