A YOUNG Swindon woman has been presented with the UK’s top accolade for Girl Guiding.

Marybeth Masters received the Queen’s Guide Award from the Countess of Wessex – the Girlguiding UK President – at a special ceremony held at St James’ Palace in London. Girlguiding UK’s Chief Guide Liz Burnley was also on hand at the event along with 200 other invited guests.

A total of 70 young women from right across the UK joined Marybeth in receiving their Queen’s Guide. The award sees participants take the lead in a number exciting areas including developing a personal skill, working within pioneering community action projects, and overseeing ambitious outdoor pursuits.

Marybeth, whose Queen’s Guide achievements included organising activity camps for Brownies, running an educational visit to Gloucester for older girls, learning sign language, and taking part in the Wiltshire Octobus project, said: “I am currently studying as a student nurse at Cardiff university and my Queen’s Guide Award has aided me with important skills such as communication, listening, organisation, multitasking and patience. It’s also given me the confidence to think I can have a go at anything, for example opening 1st Old Town Senior Section Guide Unit, which over two years has grown in membership beyond my wildest dreams.”

The Queen’s Guide Award is the most prestigious guiding award open to members between the ages of 16 and 25. As well as the activities carried out by Marybeth, other Queen’s Guide recipients experienced challenging and innovative programmes such as working with the homeless, expeditions to Switzerland and China, and projects aimed at raising money for a whole host of national charities.

Liz Burnley added: “Over the years the Queen’s Guide Award has given many young women an amazing sense of empowerment and confidence within a girl-only space, particularly at a time when they are making serious life choices – such as career direction – which ultimately shape their future.”