IT IS the highest award a Girl Guide can get and Girlguiding Kidlington has never handed out more than one or two a year.

But this year, 10 of the group’s Guides were awarded the Baden-Powell Challenge Award for their efforts teaching and helping others.

To win the award they had to complete 10 challenges, including getting a first aid qualification, running a fundraising cafe, taking part in an event away from home and hosting an international evening about different cultures.

Chloe Hurdley said she gave a talk to younger Guides on bullying as part of her work towards the award.

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“We were telling them about the different types of bullying and who to tell if they are getting bullied, which I think is really important.”

She said of getting the award: “It felt like a really proud moment because I had worked so hard.”

She was joined in her success by Amberley Vircavs, Ella Newton, Phillipa Smith, Erin Corness, Georgia Francis, Anna Heaven, Ettie-Jane Pearce, Laura Rushby and Chelsea Jacques.

The girls, who are all from Kidlington, are aged between 13 and 16, and are all pupils at Gosford Hill School.

Some stayed on with the unit past the usual age of 14 to complete the challenge.

Girlguiding Kidlington leader Hannah Masterson, said she had never handed out more than two of the awards in one year.

The 39-year-old, who lives in Kidlington and has a six-year-old daughter Aria in the Guides’ Rainbows group, said: “It is the highest award you can get at this age.

“In the 14 years I have been doing it I have never given out more than two in one year.

“It shows how dedicated they are.

“Quite often people start it and just give up because it is difficult, and sometimes we only have one or two for the whole district.

“These are the best group of girls I have ever had.”