Alyse Costello, Rachel Lopresti, Estelle Riley and Kimberley Taylor receive Baden-Powell Challenge Award

District Commissioner Gemma Orr (centre) presents Alyse Costello, Rachel Lopresti, Estelle Riley and Kimberley Taylor with the Baden-Powell Challenge Award

Alyse Costello aged 15, and Rachel Lopresti, Estelle Riley and Kimberley Taylor, all aged 16, from Rochdale, members of the 32nd Rochdale Guides, are celebrating after receiving the highest accolade for Guides, the Baden-Powell Challenge Award.

Alyse, Rachel, Estelle and Kimberley chose to complete a range of exciting activities to achieve the award, including adventure weekends away, disability awareness sessions, the Sports Relief Mile, volunteering at local girlguiding units, and undertaking an environmental project at Healey Dell Nature Reserve.

Rachel said: “I’m really proud to have completed my Baden-Powell Challenge Award because it has taken more than a year of hard work to get it.”

Estelle said: “The Baden-Powell Challenge was great, we planned our own programme of activities and tried some fantastic new things.”

The group’s leader, Leanne Chorlton, said: “I’m very proud of the girls for completing their Baden-Powell Award. They’ve been truly dedicated to achieving this award, and I’m sure this is something they’ll look back on with pride for years to come.”

District Commissioner, Gemma Orr, presented the awards to the Guides at a recent unit meeting at Thrum Hall Church, Shawclough. 

The Baden-Powell Challenge is the highest award available to Guides - the challenge is divided into five sections, including healthy lifestyles and global awareness.

Girls can choose which activities they want to do within each section, from researching the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to giving a presentation on a world issue of their choice.

To complete the award, Guides take part in an adventure weekend, during which they face various set challenges, trying new things and pushing themselves outside their comfort zone.