This policy has been written to clarify the support we can offer to our international guests and also to safeguard us as an event team.

Terms used within the Policy

International Team: A group of Unity 2026 volunteers providing support for our international guests.

International Guests: Individuals (volunteers) or groups of young members with the relevant adult Leaders attending Unity 2026 from outside of the UK.

Member Organisation (MO): The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is the global Guiding organisation. The Member Organisations are country specific organisations that belong to WAGGGS. Girlguiding is the UK’s MO.

Home country: The country in which the International Guests live.

The Policy

Who is invited to attend Unity 2026?

All international guests must belong to an MO and have the backing of that organisation to attend Unity 2026. The International Team will be checking this with the relevant MO for all international guests.

Any international guests over the age of 18 years at the start of the camp will need to have completed the relevant recruitment checks for their MO.

The Unity 2026 International Team will support all international guests to the best of their ability, however responsibility to ensure that all Guiding rules are adhered to as well as the law, both within the UK and the home country, remains with the international guests.

Supporting Visa Applications:

Most international guests can obtain a Standard Visitor visa to visit the UK. International guests need to apply for these in good time to ensure they are in place prior to travel. Our international guests should visit the UK government website for full details: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/tourist-short-stay-visas

Girlguiding Staffordshire, as well as Girlguiding UK, have no influence in the outcome of visa decisions. We are only able to support applications by way of providing visa support letters and cannot guarantee they will be approved.

When we issue a visa support letter, we are only able to confirm your invitation to the Unity 2026 camp duration. We are not able to include details of anything outside of the camp dates, other than including details of your flights.

All documentation sent by the International Team in support of a visa application will be sent in pdf format, including a signature of the International Team Leader. This is to ensure that documents cannot be tampered with once they have left the Unity 2026 team. All correspondence sent in relation to supporting a visa application will also be copied to the relevant MO.

Insurance

We strongly recommend that our international guests take out insurance for their entire visit to the UK. This may include additional sightseeing outside the Unity 2026 camp dates. This should cover the individual or group for eventualities such as cancellation of your trip, medical cover in case you fall ill or have an accident whilst in the UK, etc.

This should be organised in your home country prior to travel and your MOs may have a recommended provider.

Please refer to our Terms & Conditions of booking for full details of Unity 2026 cancellation information.

Linking international guests with UK units

Where possible, the International Team will match up units from the UK who wish to share their Unity 2026 experience with a group of international guests.

If your visit to the UK also includes additional sightseeing days then the International Team will try and help you identify suitable accommodation and transport information, however this would all need to be booked and paid for by the international guests. Home hospitality with local groups before or after the event will not be available.

Unexplained Absence from Unity 2026

We understand that sometimes plans need to change because of unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, if for any reason your group will not be arriving at Unity 2026 at the expected time then it is essential that you/your group Leader gets in touch with the camp to let us know. Similarly, if you/your leaders decide to leave the camp for any reason, we need to be made aware of where you are intending to go and when you are intending to arrive back at camp. A telephone number will be made available to all guests nearer the time. Please be aware that we will not permit any international guests under the age of 18 to leave the site except with one of their leaders or on an excursion organised by Unity 2026.

Failure to arrive at camp:

If any of our international guests do not arrive at camp without making contact to tell us of delays to their travel arrangements, the International Team will report this to the Police.

For groups travelling to the UK on the first day of camp, our International Team will keep an eye on flight information using online data as we appreciate that if there are delays with your flights and you are in the air, you will not be able to let us know, but please get in touch as soon as possible after landing to confirm your expected arrival time.

If you have not arrived at camp, we have not found any information about delays to your flight and no communication has been made, we will contact the Police 6 hours after your expected arrival time.

Absconsion from camp:

If any of our international guests wish to leave the camp, they will need to check out at one of the entry/exit points so that we know who is onsite for fire regulations. However they will also need to let the International Team know where they are intending to go and what time they intend to return to camp. If these plans change then you/your Leader should make contact with the camp to update the International Team. Please be aware that we will not permit any international guests under the age of 18 to leave the site except with one of their leaders or on an excursion organised by Unity 2026.

If you/your leader fails to return to camp at the allotted time the International Team Leader will be made aware of the situation. Attempts will be made by the camp to contact you/your Leader using the contact details you have provided. If, after a further 2 hours, you/your group has still not arrived back at camp and communication has been unsuccessful, the Unity 2026 team will report this to the Police.

Failure to keep us informed in either of these circumstances would require the Unity 2026 team to report your absence to the authorities. The Unity 2026 team will support the Police in their investigation by answering questions relating to the individual or group and sharing any details or documents we hold about them.

This data sharing is in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Section 5 Restrictions, Article 23 Restrictions, 1(d) which allows us to share information under the following circumstances: “the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution or criminal penalties, including the safeguarding against and the prevention of threats to the public.”

Staffordshire Police Local Police Station :

Burton Police Station, Horninglow Street, Burton upon Trent, DE14 1PA