2 volunteer leaders for Girlguiding Isle of Wight, with over 60 years service between them, have been awarded Silver Oak Leaf Awards by Girlguiding’s South West England Region.
Lesley Clifford and Shirley Saunders, both from Sandown, gained these awards for their long service to Girlguiding, their local communities and especially for their joint leadership of Girlguiding Isle of Wight, as Island Commissioners, over the past 5 years.
Lesley’s citation included mention of her 38 years service, both on the mainland and at Sandown, as well as her commitment to regional Girlguiding and her activities within the Sandown community, including her work with Sandown Carnival.
Shirley has completed over 26 years service – 10 years of which have been on the Isle of Wight as a volunteer. Her citation mentioned her commitment to regional meetings especially with welcoming in new members. Shirley served as a member of the Awards Committee for the South West England region.
Back in February 2020, both Lesley and Shirley were presented with ‘thank you’ awards by Deputy Regional Commissioner, Sarah French, but now the Silver Oak Leaf Awards have come as a great surprise to both of these Girlguiding stalwarts.
Having completed 5 years as Island Commissioners both Lesley and Shirley have decided not to retire completely from Girlguiding but to continue as leaders of 5th Sandown Brownies, as well as holding executive positions.
These awards were presented by South West England Regional Commissioner, Carole Pennington, via a Zoom meeting, at the end of 2020.
