Durham Scouts came together on Saturday 7 February 2026 to celebrate the exceptional achievements of young people and volunteers from across the county at the Durham Scouts Awards Night 2026 – with one volunteer’s remarkable 60 years of service among those being honoured.
Among those recognised was Sheila Gibbon, who received a Long Service Award for an incredible 60 years of volunteering in Scouting, marking six decades of dedication to supporting young people, developing leaders and upholding the values of scouts.
From 1966 Sheila has held an extraordinary 34 roles, from supporting Cub Packs to contributing to British Scouting Overseas. Reflecting on her time in Scouting, Sheila said:
“The help and support I received right from the beginning kept me motivated. I’ve worked with some amazing people, learned so much from them, and been to places and done things I would never have experienced without Scouts. The values and purpose of Scouting have always stayed the same – and they are just as important today.”
Sheila added that her fond memories are “too many to list”, but one stands out above all – meeting her husband through Scouting, with whom she is still happily married.
The prestigious annual Awards Day, held at Glow Venue, Newton Aycliffe, brought together recipients of Scouting’s highest awards, along with their families, leaders and guests, to celebrate dedication, achievement and positive impact across County Durham, Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside.
Greg Piskosz, Lead Volunteer for Durham Scouts, said:
“Our Awards Night is a highlight of the Scouting year. It’s a chance to celebrate not only remarkable achievements, but also the resilience, leadership and community spirit shown by our young people and volunteers. We are incredibly proud of not only those being recognised today, but of all our young people and volunteers across the county.
The purpose of Scouting is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. It is a great pleasure seeing the young people collect their awards tonight and demonstrate just how great their potential truly is.”
