An assistant Brownie leader from Otley has been awarded the charity’s ultimate accolade – the Queen’s Guide Award – demonstrating her exceptional leadership and community action.

Lucy Wilkinson, 25, has proven herself to be a powerful force for good in her community – having spent several years completing a series of demanding challenges to achieve the top honour.

The assistant leader of the 2nd and 5th Otley Brownies was presented with the prestigious award by Chief Guide Gill Slocombe at a special ceremony held at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London on November 21.

The Queen’s Guide Award, open to young women in guiding aged 16 to 25, sets members a series of demanding challenges, including embarking on an ambitious four-day expedition, overseeing a ground-breaking community action project and devoting a year to cultivating a skill of their choice.

Among the tasks Leeds City College student Lucy chose to tackle was learning how to kayak and going on an exploration of London. She also raised hundreds of pounds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

She said: “My biggest challenge was learning how to kayak because I had a bad experience when I was younger, where I nearly died capsizing.

“It took me a couple of sessions on the water to be able to kayak confidently and go out on the lake on my own.”

With latest research from Girlguiding revealing that 63 per cent of girls aged 11 to 21 say more female leaders would mean a better deal for women, – Lucy is leading the way, showing how young women can make a difference to the world around them.

She said: “Guiding has changed my life by letting me grow as a person and gain my confidence to do what I want to do in life.

“Completing my Queen’s Guide has inspired me to continue my work with Girlguiding and become a teaching assistant in primary schools to help students who are struggling completing their ambitions.”

Chief Guide Gill Slocombe, said: “The Queen’s Guide Award embodies all that’s best about guiding. The adventures that recipients experience, the skills they learn and the friendships and confidence they build will last a lifetime and prove immensely valuable as they pursue their goals in life.

“This challenge has helped them become confident, skilled, self-reliant young women ready to make a positive difference to the world around them, and I have no doubt that they will.”

Lucy joins an impressive list of former Queen’s Guide Award recipients including BBC journalist Kate Silverton.