Jennifer Hamilton

It is with great sadness we share the news that Jennifer Hamilton passed away after a short illness on Wednesday 23rd October.

A valued member of the Girlguiding Edinburgh family she is very highly spoken of with great respect, and was good friend who will be sorely missed.

She inspired and empowered hundreds of girls and volunteers to grow in confidence, reach for the stars, have fun and be a powerful force good. Jennifer supported many members to enjoy new experiences, learn new skills and make new friends at weekly unit meetings and on unforgettable trips and camps. Jennifer recently received her 40-Year Service Award, and celebrated this achievement in the company of her Outdoors Team.

In addition to being a dedicated unit leader, Jennifer held a number of volunteer roles within Guiding and supported lots of girls and volunteers through their guiding journey, supporting Girlguiding Edinburgh, and those beyond, to offer fun and adventure to girls throughout the city, including ensuring the smooth running of the local campsite and organising Festival Camps in the UK to leading International experiences for the Guides.

Jennifer was a diligent and supportive member of the Girlguiding Edinburgh Executive Committee, sharing her exceptional skills in offering advice, guidance and direction. Girlguiding Edinburgh County Commissioners, Emma and Susan, will always be so grateful for this.

She was one of those Leaders who worked beneath the radar to make Girlguiding possible and who went above and beyond the remit to get things done. Jennifer never thought that she did anything out of the ordinary but those who worked with her knew very differently. Volunteers who have worked with Jennifer praised her passion, enthusiasm and organsiational skills as well as her encouraging and supportive nature. Her planning was meticulous, always done well in advance and meant any event she was in charge of was guaranteed to be a success. Our County Fun days in 2017 were a fantastic example of this.

Jennifer was a truly remarkable and highly respected member of Girlguiding who had a wealth of knowledge that was second to none – what she didn’t know wasn’t worth knowing!! She was always keen to pass this knowledge on to girls and volunteers, and so many of us have so much to thank her for.

A Service of Celebration for Jennifer was held on 4th November.