Scout leader honoured with Fakenham council award

An inspirational scout leader has won Fakenham town council’s annual Community Award Shield.

Bobbie Stevenson turned round the fortunes of the local Wensum Scout Group whose numbers had declined to single figures when she took over four years ago.

But, thanks to her tireless input there are now some 60 young people regularly involved with Cubs, Beavers and Scouts and the group has taken on two more leaders.

Current mayor George Acheson presented Ms Stevenson with the shield at the council’s annual Town Assembly meeting in the community centre.

He described her as a worthy winner who had worked hard to ensure the group survived and progressed.

The award was established in 2004 by councillor Alan Tickle who had been impressed by the number of volunteers he’d met in his year as mayor and felt the council should recognise outstanding individuals.

Commendation awards were also given to five local drivers who had used their 4x4 vehicles to help some 120 people stranded in snowy road conditions during the Beast from the East at the beginning of March.

Jonathan Court, Tom Sutton and Andrew Dix received their certificates on the night with Thomas Ware and Richard Easter unable to attend.

The meeting heard that more volunteer helpers were required by the scouts and referred anyone interested to http://scouts.org.uk/get-involved/groups/fakenham-wensum.