A GIRL Guide who helped save a Darwen club from closure has been given the Queen’s Guide Award.

Briony Taylor, 21, is originally from the town but is studying at university in Manchester and travels back every week to make sure the Brownies group can keep going.

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And to earn the highest award you can work towards in Guiding, the youngster, who is from the Sunnyhurst area of Darwen, completed volunteering activities, including a trip to Costa Rica last summer, where she learnt about forest and turtle conservation.

Briony, who is studying on a public service course and is currently on placement with the police, said: “It was really good and I learnt a lot about myself. I’ve learnt that I am more confident than I originally thought and I am willing to do things that I never would have thought that I could.

“I feel really good that I have done it and I am quite proud of myself.

“It is really nice to be recognised for all of the hard work I have put in.”

The award is based on the concepts of personal challenge and participation and is split into five sections including service in guiding, an outdoor challenge, personal skill development, community action and a residential. Briony had two years to complete all of the sections, which also saw her attend community meetings about fracking and gain a qualification in scuba diving.

But when she left Darwen to study at Manchester, the Brownies club, which runs at Kittens Pre-School, was put in jeopardy.

She said: “I used to help out with the group before I went to university.

“I became a leader and I would help out when I came back from uni.

“But one of the leaders left and the other was struggling on her own and so she said she would have to close.

“But I just could not let that happen and now I go back every Tuesday after I’ve finished on my placement.

“It is lovely group and going back there is the highlight of my week.”

The group meets every Tuesday from 6.30pm.

  • Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK.

It aims to give girls the chance to discover their full potential and encourage them to be a powerful force for good.