An understanding of world issues coupled with caring and a responsibility towards others are important values for today. The Guide Association's programme of activities teaches these values and helps to make them very real for the girls and women who are our members. With these values comes a desire to do something to change the world and to help make it a better place for us all to live in. in Bedfordshire, we can see this in a range of world and community issues and to raise money to help the organisations involved with them.

In 2000, money was raised in Bedfordshire for a range causes in a variety of ways. A few of the activities which were organised were:

• A sponsored sleepover for Children in Need and also a sponsored famine for World Vision organised by the Flitwick Guides
• A bazaar for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf organised by Linslade District
• Two summer discos and games evenings for NCH Action for Children run by Strathmore Brownies and Rainbows
• A Christmas Carol Concert for the Meningitis Trust held by Rainbows in Central District
• A sponsored silence to raise money for the Keech Cottage Children's hospice run by Limbury District in Luton
• A "D" (tea) party to raise money for Mencap organised by Wardown District Guides in Luton
• 50,000 stamps were sent to the YOC - the junior membership of teh RSPB - by the 2nd Harlington Brownies in Dunstable
• money was raised throughout the county for Bookaid to help developing countries buy books for school.

We ourselves also benefit from the involvement of members of the Trefoil Guild in our activities. Whilst this is a separate organisation, the Trefoil Guild has close ties with the Guide Association. Indeed, many members of the Trefoil Guild are former Guiders who continue to use the skills and expertise they have learnt in Guiding to help out in a variety of ways both in Guiding and the wider community. Activities this year included fundraising for Breakthrough Cancer, supporting units around the County and getting involved in both local and county-wide events like STOMP.