A duck race was held at New Mills Farm Park on Wednesday, June 10 to help raise funds for Tregadillett Guide Leader Charlotte Ball's trip to Fiji next month. Charlotte was one of four members picked from over 150 girls to go to Fiji with GOLD (Guiding Overseas Linked with Development). GOLD provide members of Girlguiding UK with opportunities for personal development through participation in community development projects overseas, using the medium of Guiding. In Fiji Charlotte will be working alongside local Guides on projects ranging from guiding development to self-esteem and life skills to health awareness. The aims of the GOLD projects are determined by the Fiji Girl Guides Association who identify what they recognise as the main needs of Guiding in their country at the time. For 2009 the project will be based around Guiding development, leadership, HIV/Aids and self esteem issues. Charlotte, who is studying speech and language therapy at university in Cardiff, said: "GOLD is an amazing opportunity and having been a member of Guiding for over 16 years I am very enthusiastic about the organisation and the opportunities it offers its members and I feel incredibly honoured to have been selected to participate in a GOLD project representing Girlguiding UK in Fiji. I have been fortunate to have learnt from the experiences of my own Guide leaders and feel this experience will be a great benefit to my own Guides." Participants are expected to fund raise £2,000 for all project costs including travel and living expenses and any equipment needed for use on the project. Charlotte said: "I have been extremely well supported by Girlguiding at all levels with generous donations, grants and support locally. I also had a good response from community fundraising letters, as well as donations from the Lions, the Leslie Sell Charitable Trust and the Freemasons of South Wales." The duck race raised around £670 for Charlotte's trip.