Lady Baden-Powell
You will be sad to learn that Patience, Lady Baden-Powell the Founder Patron of Walton Firs, granddaughter in law of the Founder and wife of the present Lord Baden-Powell died in the early hours of 18 December aged 74. Patience Baden-Powell undertook a lifetime of service to Girl Guiding, Scouting and many other caring organisations both within the United Kingdom and around the world. She was Chief Commissioner for UK Girl Guiding in the 1980s and later a Vice-President. With her husband she was much involved with the early days of the Venture Scout Section in the UK and in promoting the sensitive integration of girls into Scouting as well as supporting the unique role of Girl Guiding with young women. She was made a CBE by Her Majesty The Queen in 1986
Patience grew up in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) where she met her husband. She worked tirelessly for the application of Scouting's unchanging fundamental values in modern society not just at a policy level but practically. She worked with families in the deprived East End of London, ran a Brownie Colony and with her husband a Venture Scout Unit in Surrey and took on many of the roles previously undertaken by her grandmother in law Olave Lady Baden-Powell on her death. Though suffering from a wasting illness for the past two years she was active in pursuing her interests with young people up to the last few days of her life. one of her last outings was to Walton Firs.
Patience was no figurehead Patron for Walton Firs. She believed that seeing was believing and brought many influential visitors to the site. She was a tireless advocate for site, its development and fund raising. She will be sadly missed as a true Friend of Walton Firs. She saw the potential of our activity centre - let's not disappoint her.
