Queens Award | gbnz2015

Queen's Award

For girls who can meet challenge

with excellence

The Queen's Award is our utlimate award made to girls who meet Girls' Brigade International's highest standards. The award aims to encourage girls and young women to a personal commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, inspiring them to greater endeavour in service within the general community and to make a contribution to the worldwide concept of The Girls' Brigade. It is open to Girls' Brigade and IFG members from age 15, and recognises qualities of leadership, dedication and excellence in areas of community life.

The two-year programme involves six months' voluntary community service, Brigade and church involvement, and participation in a national assessment weekend. As girls work towards this award we hope they will learn new skills, be open to new experiences and set personal targets that will test and take them out of their comfort zone while developing their faith along the way.

"The Queens' Award is not meant to be easy – it is meant to stretch and challenge you and it really did that for me." That's 2014 Queen's Awardee Georgia Phillips' summary of her experience. She quotes Bethany Hamilton: "Courage doesn't mean you don't get afraid. Courage means you don't let fear stop you. That is something I have learned through the challenges I had in completing my Queens Award."

Jovita Manickam also received her Queen's Award in 2014. Her assesement: "This award has been challenging right from the start, but the rewards of it are so, so worth it. ... This weekend marks the end of two years of hard work but it only marks the beginning of a lifetime spent using the skills I have learnt."

Christie Nicholls is presented with her Queen's Award by

Her Excellency, Lady Janine Mateparae, wife of the Governor-General, and

Patron of Girls' Brigade New Zealand.

As part of her Queen's Award programme, Christie spent six months volunteering at the Dunedin Public Library, as well as organising a pyjama party and themed dinner for her Girls' Brigade company.

''Working at the library was really cool. I got to work on all the different levels of the library and everybody there was very nice.''

Although tough, she says the experience was rewarding in itself.

''It was really good just giving things a go and going out there and enjoying whatever was thrown at me. I would say to others, just to go for it! It's a challenge but also a lot of fun.''