Volunteer is honoured for service to Guiding in Lincolnshire for 40 years

Marion Cotterill is one of just 500 recipients to receive the award, given by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, president of the Royal Voluntary Service, as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.

During her time volunteering she has been widely known for her dedication to the Guiding movement in Skegness, South Lindsey Division, Lincolnshire County, Anglian Region and nationally.

Now in her late 70’s, she started as a volunteer Guider in the 1980’s helping with 5th Skegness Guides when an extra volunteer was needed to keep the Unit going.

A keen Guider and Rainbow leader, as she got older she moved to a supportive role helping with local Brownie and Rainbow groups where needed.

This has involved working with girls aged 5 to 18 and acting as an inspirational mentor for new volunteers.

Marion has also volunteered as East Lindsey Division Commissioner, overseeing the growth of a Guiding holiday venue called Seagull House at the Nellie Doubleday Camp Site in Trusthorpe. This venue enables Brownie and Guide groups from all over the UK to visit Lincolnshire.

As well as her work locally, she has also represented guiding abroad, volunteering to lead groups of girls to Finland and Switzerland.

She has also been involved in hosting fellow International Guides from Sierra Leone, Sweden and Minsk.

In order to keep the spirit of Guiding alive, Marion has also served a five-year term as chairman of the elderly section of Lincolnshire Guiding, Trefoil, at the Anglian Regional level. She organised county and national gatherings and AGMs.

During her time as chairman she took on various challenges as she visited each district in the cCounty and in the process gained much publicity for Guiding and raised £1,696.49 for the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.

Outside her Guiding commitments, Marion has also been an active member of the wider community. With other mothers she helped to set up a playgroup at the local community centre in Skegness in the 1970’s. She has recently taken an active role in the local University of the Third Age (U3A) and also a local Arts Group.

The award is to be presented by the Mayor of Skegness Coun Tony Tye in September.