Scunthorpe woman’s mum is her Guiding inspiration

A volunteer has told of the inspiration that has driven her to achieve a top Girlguiding award.

Chantal Collingwood is to receive the Queen’s Guide award – the highest in Girlguiding – and she says it was the memory of her late mother Hazel which spurred her on.

Hazel, who died from cancer in 2018, was a Guide leader and helper in Winterton, near Scunthorpe.

Chantal, 27, said: “It was a huge challenge [but] thinking of her really helped me to keep going on the harder days.”

Chantal was signed up to join the Guides when she was 10, and her mother had passed on a love of adventure.

“At my mum’s funeral, my childhood leader gave me a Queen’s Guide record book and said how much my mum would love me to complete it,” she said.

“It was a very thoughtful gesture and it really made me feel connected to mum while I completed the award.”

The mental health nurse, from Scunthorpe, dedicated hundreds of hours over two and a half years to achieve the award.

As part of the process, she got her camp licence and took about 30 girls away on residential trips.

Chantal, who has been an assistant leader at 1st Broughton Guides for the past seven years, said: “I’m sure my mum would be proud of me for completing my Queen’s Guide award.”

She added: “Just like my mum, I’m keen to do the same for girls now that I’m older and I want to make sure that they get the opportunities to try things that they might not otherwise get to do.”

Chantal will join hundreds of fellow award winners in October at the Girlguiding Celebrates event in Manchester.

“[My mum] will be in my thoughts so much that day and hopefully I will be making her proud,” she said.