A SHY teenager who stepped out of her comfort zone before selling dolls made of pipe cleaners has been awarded Girlguiding's top honour.

Amber Hawkins scooped the Baden-Powell Challenge after completing ten tasks and raising funds for Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

The first of those saw the13-year-old from Pinehurst give a talk to Guides and leaders from the 1st Stratton St Margaret group about the charity and its lifesaving work.

Amber said: “I have seen some of the work that they’ve done.

"There's a field at the back of our old house and they landed on it when a little boy had been bitten by a dog.

"I’ve seen what that they do on TV and I was really impressed with them.”

To raise the money, Amber made her own dolls out of pipe cleaners and beads and sold them for £1 each to friends at school and her fellow Guides.

She held another talk this week at St Philip's Church Hall. This time it was in front of air ambulance representatives, who received a cheque for £157.

Amber said: “I was excited to give them the money. I’m a little bit shy, so it was a big step for me. I feel good to be able to complete it.”

Guides is for girls aged from 10-14, who have the chance to take part in activities, events and trips away. Awards and badges are handed out to those completing challenges individually or as a team – and the Baden-Powell is the pinnacle.

The Stratton group has decided not to make the award available to its members for much longer - so Amber grabbed the chance while she could.

Amber's mum Kim Hawkins, an assistant Brownie leader, said: “As soon as she saw the charity, she picked it. She knew she wanted to raise money for that one.

“I’m really proud of her because she is quite a shy person and she’s gone out there and made these things and sold them. She’s come out of herself since doing it.”

Amber also spent a night in Weston-super-Mare as part of the challenge.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance's community relationship assistant Hollie Perryman said: “Everyone at Wiltshire Air Ambulance would like to congratulate Amber on achieving the Baden-Powell Challenge award.

"I hope the Guides thoroughly enjoyed the talk from our volunteer Roger Heafield and we’re very grateful for the money raised, which will help keep us flying and saving lives.”

GIRL scout took a big step out of her comfort zone as she spoke in front of crowd before donating to Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Amber Hawkins, 13, is described as being someone quite shy but as she took on a challenge she has soon come out of her shell.

She said: “I was excited to give them the money I’m a little bit shy, but this is a big step for me. I feel good to be able to complete it.”

Guides is for girls aged 10 to 14 and they can take part in activities, events and trips away. Members of Guides can win awards and badges when they try new challenges either alone or as a group.

The challenge meant that the members of Guides had to choose ten tasks to complete to get the Baden Powell Award.

It is the highest award you can get but Amber had her eye set on getting it which was good timing as it was the last chance to get this award.

The Guides had decided to not have this award as part of the group after the current group had completed it.

Kicking off the task she did a talk in front of the guides and guide leaders about Air Ambulance and what they do.

Amber said: “I have seen some of the work that they’ve done, in our old house there’s this field in the back and they landed on it. There was a little boy who had been bitten by a dog and I’ve seen what that they do on the TV and I was really impressed with them.”

To raise the money, she made her own dolls out of pipe cleaners and beads and sold them for one pound each. Selling them to her friends at school, other guides and anyone she comes across to raise as much as she could.

Once she got all the money together, she did another talk this week but this time in front of some members of the air ambulance at St. Philips Church Hall, handing them a cheque of £157.

Kim Hawkins, Assistant Brownie Leader and Amber’s mum, said: “As soon as she saw the charity, she picked it, she knew she wanted to do that one.

“I’m really proud of her because she is quite a shy person and she’s gone out there and made these things and sold them. She’s come out of herself since doing it.”

Other tasks that she had to complete to get the award was to go to Weston Super Mare to spend the night away doing different challenges there. The Air Ambulance Service work in five counties across the country, including Wiltshire.

The charity’s community relationship assistant Hollie Perryman said: “Everyone at Wiltshire Air Ambulance would like to congratulate Amber on achieving the Baden-Powell Challenge award. I hope the Guides thoroughly enjoyed the talk from our volunteer Roger Heafield and we’re very grateful for the money raised, which will help keep us flying and saving lives.”

They have helicopters that respond quickly to medical emergencies across the country.