TWO girls from Royston have earned Guiding s top accolade. Rachel Holland and Alison Duffy have received the coveted Queen s Guide Award. They were presented with their awards by the Girlguiding UK president The Countess of Wessex at a ceremony in London

TWO girls from Royston have earned Guiding's top accolade.

Rachel Holland and Alison Duffy have received the coveted Queen's Guide Award. They were presented with their awards by the Girlguiding UK president The Countess of Wessex at a ceremony in London.

Alison, 19, is a leader with the second Royston Brownies, while Rachel, 23, is a member of Pulsatilla Rangers and helps with the fifth Royston Rainbows.

To qualify for the award, the girls had to take the lead in a number of areas including developing a personal skill, working within pioneering community action projects, and overseeing ambitious outdoor pursuits.

Alison, whose Queen's Guide achievements included joining a choir, and trips to Guatemala and Dartmoor, said: "I spent a week in Guatemala helping out on a project which aims to protect sea turtles, and working with local communities to find ways of making a living that do not harm the turtles.

"It was a fascinating experience and I learned so much about a whole set of issues that I never knew existed. "

More than 100 young women from across the UK joined Alison and Rachel in receiving their awards.

Liz Burnley, Girlguiding UK's chief guide, said: "The presentation of the Queen's Guide Award is a very special event, and something they will all remember for ever.