Royal praise for Scouting stalwart

8:53am Tuesday 24th April 2007

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A FORMER guide who started the first Beaver Scout colony in the Bishop Auckland district has been given one of the movement's highest honours.

Pat Brake, from West Auckland, was awarded the Silver Acorn on St George's Day yesterday, recognising her dedication to the Scout movement over the past 30 years.

With her husband, John, she was invited to Windsor Castle at the weekend for a service in St George's Chapel attended by the Queen as part of the annual St George's Day gathering of Scouts from across the world.

Mrs Brake, who is an accountant in Newton Aycliffe, grew up Coundon and was a Queen's Guide before becoming a leader.

In the mid-Seventies, she became involved with a Scout group in Bishop Auckland and was secretary for six years

She launched the district's first Beaver colony in St Helen Auckland in 1983, which was an experiment that became so successful that groups now have waiting lists of children wanting to join.

She helped other people establish Scouting groups in Bishop Auckland, Ferryhill, Newton Aycliffe, Sedgefield and Spennymoor.

Her eldest daughter, Claire, is now her assistant at St Helen Auckland and Mr Brake is a Scout leader. The couple's other daughter, Dianne, is a nurse in Preston.

Mrs Brake said: "Scouting is a great organisation for children because it develops them into better citizens.

"It is wonderful when you see boys who have been Beavers become leaders and put something back into the movement.

"At Windsor, I heard young people from all over the world talking about what Scouting has done for them. It is a wonderful organisation to be in."