Local Scout Leader gets a special accolade

THE 1st Cowbridge Scout group has been busy already this year, and one pleasant duty was to accompany Gill Clay to Swansea Station when Great Western Railway (GWR) named their Intercity Express Train 800021 in her honour.

Gill Clay, a granddaughter of Robert Baden Powell*, has been a lifelong supporter of Scouting in Cowbridge, and also nationally. GWR wanted to celebrate 100 years of Scouting in Wales.

Gill, 87, last year became the 399th person to receive the Scouting’s highest honour, the Bronze Wolf Award.

GWR recognises past and present heroes from across its network. Others to be celebrated by GWR include Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, NHS founder Aneurin Bevan and best-selling author Agatha Christie.

Gill commented: “Having a train named after me and ScoutsCymru is an enormous honour. My family started Scouts in 1907 and the skills shared with young people have stood the test of time and continue to stand them in good stead for their lives, their challenges and the choices they make for wonderful futures.

“Being one of the Great Westerners named on the GWR fleet is a privilege that I am grateful for and feel very proud about.”

A spokeswoman for 1st Cowbridge Scouts said: “We are so proud of her for all she does for scouting all over the world. It was a privilege to be with her when they unveiled a train in her name. We are hoping that we will be able to take all our scout group on a train ride on Gill’s train, which would be great fun.

“The beavers, cubs and scouts have been busy. The Beavers have been earning their badges and the Scouts have been cooking and tackling lots more activities. Some of the scouts last year went to Iceland and are now young leaders. The Cubs and Beavers are having a summer camp together at Gorwellion near Porthcawl in July.

“As we are so busy we are looking for more volunteers to help us. This could be once in a while or more often. We are all volunteers and we are so glad we are able to help young people learn new skills and grow. We are looking for a treasurer [to] help with maintenance and with social media.”

Rhian Moore, Chief Volunteer of ScoutsCymru, added: “This year we are celebrating 100 years of devolved Scouting in Wales and this train, launched the day before Founders Day, marks the start of our celebrations.

“Founders Day is a celebration of the shared values and common goals of 57 million Scouts all over the world as we work towards peace, unity and international friendship.

“We make these big ambitions a reality with simple acts of kindness in everyday lives – supporting people in our communities and living our promise to help other people. This train is a great reminder of that, and Gill Clay embodies those values and our ambition to leave the world a better place.”

Joe Graham, GWR Business Assurance and Strategy Director, said: “We’ve been thrilled to celebrate Gill today with her family and so many members of the Scout Movement in attendance.

“Gill has made an extraordinary contribution not only to local Scouts but also to the global Scouting community. Intercity Express Train 800021 will help to pay tribute to her commitment and celebrate 100 years of Scouting in Wales as it journeys through communities across the GWR network.”

Following the ceremony, the Intercity Express Train 800021 formed the 1322 service from Swansea to London Paddington.

The 1st Cowbridge Scouts can be contacted via their Facebook page.

Report and photos by CM and GWR.

*Robert Baden Powell was the founder of The Boy Scouts Association 

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