GBNI provides a wide range of in-house training and workshops to assist its volunteers.  It also provides a bespoke Officer and Sub-Officer training course. 

Training Opportunities

It is part of the Girls’ Brigade policy that, once recruited, all volunteers should be well-informed, trained, supervised, and supported.  Once recruited by the local church, all volunteers will have access to training offered by GBNI.

In-Service Training Courses

Volunteers are encouraged to update and develop their skills and knowledge regularly through participation in in-service training. This includes workshops and training events offered by GBNI (centrally or at district level), or through external providers such as the Education Authority.

Courses range from competition workshops, dementia, mental health, First Aid, GDPR, New Captains, Risk Assessment and camp.  Most courses are open to both Officers and Associates and are regularly promoted in the GBNI Newsletter, eNews and Social Media Platforms.  Places can be booked via 'Upcoming Events' when available.  

All leaders are required to hold valid Safeguarding training when serving in Girls’ Brigade and it must be renewed every three years.  Refresher training should be carried out within your church and is not offered through the Girls’ Brigade.  Adults who have not completed Girls’ Brigade leadership training should be provided with Child Protection training by their local church.  For further details, refer to page 53 of the GBNI Leaders’ Manual.  

Please email martha@gbni.co.uk if you have any training queries.

Adults and young leaders appointed by the church can attend either GBNI Officer or Sub-Officer leadership training.  Officer training is for adult leaders aged 18+ and it is mostly young people aged 16-18 who complete the Sub-Officer course.  There are basic entry requirements for these courses and the parent church may add to these as necessary to help select the most suitable people to put forward for training.   

Course minimum entry requirements

• She must be at least 16 years old on 1st July.

• She must be committed to the Christian aim of GB.

• She must have attended church regularly this session.

• She should have earned a company attendance award for this session.

• She should demonstrated leadership potential.

• She should be committed to serving the GB company.

Training is made up of webinars, practical experience within a company (with guidance from a supervising Officer/Captain) which is then recorded in a Trainee Experience Booklet and face-to-face training. 

As part of the current Sub-Officer Training course, GBNI provides a compulsory Safeguarding Training Workshop for all new trainees.   This provides an awareness of safeguarding issues, safety guidelines, and practical guidance for working with children and young people.  This training does not have to be repeated should a leader go on to complete Officer Leadership Training, provided they have kept their safeguarding training up to date via their parent GB Company church. If a Trainee Officer, however, has never completed the GBNI Safeguarding Training they will need to undertake this module as part of their Officer Leadership Training.

If you were previously a Commissioned Officer in a GBNI company and are returning to serve in your local GB company, you may have to complete some form of leadership training depending on the length of time you have been absent:

• Out from GB less than five years - No further training required, except Safeguarding Refresher provided by your church.

• Out from GB five years but less than ten years - You are required to complete Officer Refresher Training.

• Out from GB ten years or more - You are required to complete full Officer Leadership Training.

Applications are now closed for 2025 entry.

Please read the application guidance notes before applying

IMPORTANT - Captains, please DO NOT submit an application for your new trainees using your own personal login for the GBNI website as it will change your personal details to the applicants details.

The application form must only be completed by the APPLICANT via their own registered login account. The details submitted on the application form will automatically create the applicant a profile if they do not have one on My Brigade and link it your GB company and to the login account used to create the application. If a profile for the applicant already exists with the same email as the login email, the system will automatically link the application to that profile and update their rank once approval has been given.