Mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Dinah Pounds, presents new tour guides with their Green Badges
An actress, a palaeontologist, a financial services manager, a Clare College porter, a musician, a retired schoolteacher, and a former head of transport strategy at Cambridgeshire County Council were among the new batch of Cambridge Green Badge tour guides who were presented with their badges and certificates at a special graduation ceremony at St Paul’s Church, Cambridge.
The mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Dinah Pounds, was on hand to make the presentations last Thursday evening (3 July).
Before doing so, Cllr Pounds spoke of the importance of having official tour guides in a city like Cambridge, noting that she once overheard an unofficial guide telling a group of tourists: “There’s Jesus College, that’s where Jesus went.”
After the presentations, the newly-qualified guides enjoyed food and drink and the chance to reflect on what had been an intensive but ultimately highly-rewarding course.
The course ran from September 2024 to March 2025, with one lecture and one practice session a week, led by qualified Green Badge tour guides and accredited by the Institute of Tourist Guiding.
It covered history, culture, science, sport and architecture, as well as presentation techniques such as how best to communicate and the correct way to stand.
The students sat for a written exam in April and undertook two walking exams (the city centre and King’s College) in May. They also had to submit a 1,500-word tour planning project.
Caroline Mead, one of the newly-qualified guides, who works for the RSPB, said: “I’ve lived in Cambridge my entire life; I absolutely love the city, I love showing it to people, and I’m really looking forward to showing off Cambridge to anyone who happens to be visiting – and to local residents as well.
“Before I did this course, I had very limited knowledge of the colleges, very limited knowledge of the university in general, so it’s exciting to learn all about the history and then be able to tell it to people.”
She added: “The course was a lot more challenging than I was expecting – it was a lot more in-depth. I think it’s important for people to have an accurate idea of the history.
“It’s a way of ensuring that the information the tourists get is accurate and credible.”
Elena Villamil, another newly-qualified guide who is originally from Uruguay, said: “When I started, I never imagined the extent of knowledge I was going to acquire in less than one year.
“And that also planted a seed for me to continue researching UK history, learning more, and communicating all the knowledge we’ve now got to the people who visit us – or to the locals.”
Elena, a scientist who studied epidemiology at Wolfson College and first moved to Cambridge in 1996, continued: “The course was very well organised and we had excellent opportunities to practise in town.
“The tour guides [who taught us] were very knowledgeable with many years of experience.
“On a personal note, I feel more part of Cambridge now than before because I walk around the town and I see all the tour guides that I never noticed before!”
Also among the graduates was Taj Khan Kalash, who runs the Cambridge Tourist Information Centre.
Cllr Pounds praised what she called a “fabulous group of people”, adding: “They’ve had a fabulous time and they’ve worked really hard to achieve this award.
“I’m looking forward to meeting them around Cambridge; they do a really good job – official and professional guides are a real asset to Cambridge.
“People want a very special experience and Cambridge has so much to offer. But it does get busy so safety is an issue, and these guys are well-trained to look after people.”
For more information on tours in Cambridge, visit sctg.org.uk.