Volunteers’ Week 2026: Mindy
Mindy – Leader and Division Commissioner
Hi my name is Melinda Matthews and I was a senior executive in the technology and education industries. I decided to retire early and wanted to do something that spoke to my values, beliefs and skills. I was looking around Edinburgh for either part-time jobs and/or volunteer opportunities. I joined a few board of trustees but they only meet quarterly and there isn’t a real interaction with the business or clients. Then I saw a facebook ad for Volunteer with Girlguiding and I thought “YES! That fits me just fine.”
I was a Girl Scout in the USA and was a Brownie Cookie Leader for my daughter when she was in Girl Scouts and I loved both of those experiences. So in February 2025 I signed up to work with Girlguiding Scotland.
I signed up to help my local unit in Edinburgh, but as I spoke to the recruitment officer, she thought with my corporate skills I would be suited for the Division Commissioner role. I said “OK, let’s give it a go!” I have been a commissioner for the Raeburn Division in Edinburgh for one year.
Mindy, middle back row, receiving her leadership qualification, with unit helper Comfort, left, leader Elspeth, right, and some of the Rainbows.
As time went on, I realised as a commissioner, I needed more understanding of what the leaders do and need plus I wanted to understand the girls that enjoy Guiding. So, I signed up to become a leader and decided to help a unit in my division that needed a helper. I joined Pennywell Rainbows as a Leader-in-Training in October 2025 and I have been enjoying the unit and girls since.
In February 2026, one of the Brownie units in my Division was about to close – all the leaders stepped down and there wasn’t an easy place to move the girls to, so I raised my hand to cover the last term and became a Brownie leader. I was a bit scared at first, but it has been wonderful. The Guiding model is easy to follow and with the UMA and Skill Builder programme cards, planning the activities for the girls became fun and creative for me. I have now been a Brownie Leader for two months and I will continue into the next term in September 2026.
I volunteer as I was missing the sense of community and common goal after I left full-time employment. So volunteering for a good cause was important to me. I wanted to meet new people, share my skills and have fun. Now that I know the girls, I am so interested in their growth and development into young ladies. It is not easy to be a young girl these days and I hope I can encourage, empower and be a positive role model for them. It gives me a sense of purpose and the warm and fuzzies.
I signed up to be a volunteer with Girlguiding Edinburgh as I needed to engage with the local community to use my skills, energy and interests. Girlguiding fit that for me. I was a teacher, a business executive in a mainly male-dominated industry, and a personal coach – I wanted to share and help young girls to succeed.
I have lots of favourite moments from my time in Guiding so far. For example, it could be a trip, a unit meeting that stands out, or an event. I went to the County Camp Festival in 2025 – I knew NO ONE. It was difficult. Everyone knew each other, how the camp worked, where to go etc. I was amazed at the network, the volunteers, the enthusiasm of the girls and mostly the organisational excellence of how the camp ran. I knew if I could make some friends and get involved it would be a long-term engagement for me and be very healthy for me too. So I decided to become a leader and stay a commissioner. I did make a few friends at camp and we are still friends.
Why should others get involved in volunteering with Girlguiding Edinburgh? The young girls in Guiding today will be the leaders of the future. I think anyone that has time and skill/knowledge to share, should engage with this generation. Kids today need support, encouragement and shown other interests than looking at their phones and allowing AI to do their homework. So many interpersonal skills are lost and so important for a happy healthy life.