Congratulations to Matthew Holmes and Sarah Stokes, Durham Scout County's latest recipients of the Queen's Scout Award.

The Queen’s Scout Award is the highest honour in Scouting and is awarded for outstanding personal achievement.  This honour is achieved by young people aged between 16 and 25 who have completed a range of challenges, which includes service to their community, completing an expedition in wild country, undertaking a five-day residential project in an unfamiliar environment and learning a new skill or developing an existing talent.

Chief Scout Bear Grylls said:

"During their time Scouting all these young people have worked incredibly hard to learn new skills and achieve their Queen’s Scout Awards. I and I am so full of admiration for their spirit, grit and determination.  They have served their community, lead others and undertaken expeditions in the UK and around the world. As Queen's Scouts they are leading lights and an inspiration to over half a million Scouts in the UK and I am so pleased that Scouting has honoured them today. I am just so proud of all they have achieved.”

Matthew and Sarah took part in this years Queen's Scout Award Parade held in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle by kind permission of Her Majesty the Queen.

The annual Windsor Castle event has been held regularly since 1934 on the Sunday nearest to St. George's Day (23^rd April).  St. George is the Patron Saint of Scouting. Since the Queen’s Scout Award was instigated, over 100,000 of these awards have been presented to young men and women for outstanding personal achievements and service to their local communities.  They have learnt new skills and taken part in many of the 200 different activities on offer by Scouting across the UK.