Alison and Anne celebrate four decades of running Brownie packs on the Fylde coast

Alison Taylor and Anne Clark recently marked 40 years of service in Girl Guiding.

A celebration event was held at the St John Vianney Centre, Glastonbury Avenue, Blackpool, to which former Brownies and leaders were invited for tea, coffee and cakes.

Alison and Anne have been Brownie leaders for 40 years – a purely voluntary role. They both now volunteer at the 16th Blackpool Brownies, based at the St John Vianney centre.

Alison, 60, who works at Kirkham Junior School, said: “It was a really nice surprise celebration. We had planned a party to mark 90 years since the Brownie Unit was started, and I knew we were planning to surprise Anne for her 40 years, but didn’t know they had also planned the same for me. It was a lovely night.”

Alison first got involved after a friend asked her if she would help out an hour a week at a new Brownie pack at St Paul’s Church in Marton.

She says one of the best aspects of being involved with the Girl Guiding movement is seeing the difference it can make to the girls.

“Recently I was at the hospital and one of the healthcare assistants came to speak to me, she was one of my first Brownies and remembered me. That’s the effect it can have on people’s lives, they remember it 40 years on.

“There are so many fantastic opportunities now for Brownies and Guides and for those who volunteer with them. You can get the chance to travel all over the world.

“There’s days out, camps, various activities, it’s a fantastic thing. Of course, it ended up being a lot more than an hour a week!”

Alison’s daughter Victoria also volunteers at the 16th Blackpool Brownies, and went on her first camp at six months old.

Anne, an accountant with Blackpool Council, was a Brownie herself as a youngster and as she got older, decided to volunteer and continue with Girl Guiding as a leader. As her parents were in the RAF and the family moved around a lot, she joined as a way of making friends and when she moved to Blackpool, it was suggested to her she help out at a local pack.

Anne said: “I was hooked. I’m a big kid at heart, so I love it.

“I think it’s great for youngsters to be able to take part in all the different activities and make new friends. It’s changed over the years with all the different things they can now do.

“Myself and Alison enjoy it so much, neither of us have any plans to stop soon.”