Structure of GBNI

Company

Company membership includes teams of voluntary leaders, selected by the local Church, and girls of all ages, from 3 - 18 years old.

District

Companies are grouped together in local areas to form Districts. Officers from local Companies are appointed to run the District, providing activities and events for girls and leaders where they can meet, have fun, compete and share friendship.
There are 15 Districts in Northern Ireland:

1. Castlewood
2. Shaftesbury
3. Cavehill
4. Ards
5. Strangford & Mourne
6. Lagan
7. Mid-Ulster
8. Glenabbey
9. East Antrim
10. North Antrim
11. North West
12. West Ulster
13. Riada
14. Bann
15. Lough Neagh

Each District is co-ordinated by an officer in charge called a Commissioner, supported by others including an Assistant Commissioner, Secretary and Treasurer. Districts elect officers to represent the views of members in that District on NI level decision making teams.

Northern Ireland Level

Girls' Brigade NI is run by volunteers for volunteers. A number of local representatives are elected to a NI level council, called 'Brigade Council', to lead the organisation in terms of its vision and direction. Brigade Council meets 3 or 4 times each year to discuss and debate issues regarding the ministry and strategic direction of GBNI. As the Council is made up of representatives from each Girls' Brigade District, the views and opinions of local members are channelled directly to the decision makers in the organisation.
While the Brigade Council provide leadership and vision for the organisation, it is the role of the Executive Committee to govern the organisation and to lead the organisation along the path that Council have set. The Executive meets on a monthly basis, making decisions about the strategic operation of the organisation. The day-to-day running of the organisation will be delegated to HQ staff.
For practical reasons, the Executive works with sub-groups that are set up to focus on various aspects of Girls' Brigade work. These include Executive, Spiritual, Training, Activities, PE, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and Programme Teams. These Teams meet regularly throughout the year providing a valuable service to all GB Companies. GB leaders are nominated onto these subgroups by their Districts.

Northern Ireland Office Bearers

Patron GBNI Lynda Bryans Director GBNI Chloe Hemphill President Margaret Ming (Deputy Designated Child Protection Officer)

Vice President Lyn Campbell Chairperson Linda Buchanan

Chaplain Doreen Draffin Designated Child Protection Officer Valerie Hamilton

Youth Representative Jolene Bell Trinity Presbyterian Omagh Youth Representative Lauren Mulholland St Paul's Parish, Lisburn Youth Representative Alison Campbell Castlereagh Presbyterian GB

• GBNI President: Margaret Ming - St Andrew's Presbyterian Bangor GB
• GBNI Vice-President: Lyn Campbell - Castlereagh Presbyterian GB
• GBNI Chairperson: Linda Buchanan - Greenwell St Presbyterian GB, Newtownards
• GBNI Chaplain: Doreen Draffin - Whitehouse Presbyterian GB
• Treasurer: Gordon Smyth
• Designated Child Protection Officer: Valerie Hamilton - Drumreagh Presbyterian GB
• Latifa McCullagh - Maghergall Presbyterian GB
• Carolyn Pauley - Hazelbank Presbyterian Coleraine GB
• Amanda Burnside - St Mary's Parish Belfast GB
• Isobel McKane - Knocknmauckley Parish GB
• Victoria Gordon - external member
• Pastor Gordon McDade - external member

Youth Representatives on Executive Committee

• Jolene Bell - Trinity Presbyterian Omagh GB
• Lauren Mulholland - St Paul's Parish, Lisburn GB
• Alison Campbell - Castlereagh Presbyterian GB

You can email your youth reps with your views on any GB issues which they can then feed into the GBNI Executive Committee: gems@gbni.co.uk

GBNI Headquarters

Staff at Headquarters provide a range of services to members including resources and information for leaders, administrative support, co-ordination of training, events and other activities. Through our Supplies department uniforms, awards, resource materials and various gifts are sold.

Girls' Brigade Europe

Girls' Brigade NI belongs to the GB Europe Fellowship, along with England & Wales, Ireland, Palestine, Romania and Scotland. For further information on GB Europe visit www.gbeurope.org

Girls' Brigade International

Worldwide there are now over 3,000 GB companies with over 126,000 girls and young women meeting and discovering Jesus week by week through the work of The Girls' Brigade.

Girls' Brigade is working in 52 countries and islands around the world, each working towards the same aim. Girls' Brigade around the world is organised into groupings called 'Fellowships'. There are 5 Fellowships:

• Africa
• Asia
• Americas/Caribbean
• Europe
• Pacific

Representatives from each fellowship, together with the International President and Treasurer form 'The International Presidents Committee', who have the responsibility of the work of The Girls' Brigade at an International level. International Council Meetings known as ICGB are held every four years.