A WOMAN who has spent the last 50 years volunteering her time to help girls and young women in the Guiding movement has been given a special award.

Jurat Mazel Le Ruez, the president of Girlguiding Jersey, was presented with the award by Girlguiding UK’s south-west region commissioner, Jill Slocombe, at Girlguiding Jersey’s annual meeting at the beginning of November.

Jurat Le Ruez, of Trinity, said that the years she had spent volunteering in Guiding had been rewarding and had taught her a lot.

‘The 50 years I have spent in Girlguiding as a leader and a Guide has been a wonderful experience and I have made so many friends both in Jersey and the rest of the world,’ she said.

‘I have learnt so much, both about young people and adults. I have shared so much and I hope I have given back a lot. Guiding has helped open so many doors for me.’

Jurat Le Ruez started the St Mary’s Brownies in 1958, expanding it to the Guides two years later. Over the past 50 years she has held the positions of Island Commissioner, vice-president of Girlguiding Jersey and has been the president for the last ten years. This year she was also made the president of the south-west region trefoil.

And Jurat Le Ruez has been honoured for her hard work before. In 1989 she was given the Laurel Award for services to Guiding and in 1997 she was  made an MBE for her services to the community.

Picture: RICHARD WAINWRIGHT (00605580)