A West Bridgford Brownie’s cool head in an emergency has led to the presentation of Girlguiding Nottinghamshire’s Celtic Cross, a special award given to recognise her exceptional bravery and quick thinking.
Clara Cuddington, 9, a member of 10th West Bridgford Brownies, was presented with the award by County Commissioner Jackie Brocklehurst, who explains what happened: ‘Clara was at home with her Dad when he had an accident. Even though he was very dazed and bleeding from a serious head injury, Clara stayed calm and thought things through quickly. She called the emergency services, followed their instructions and was there when the ambulance arrived to whisk him away to hospital.’
Very modest about her actions, Clara maintains that she was just putting into practice what she had learnt at Brownies. In nominating Clara for the award, relative Clare Manley also expressed her appreciation of Claire Spencer, Leader of 10th West Bridgford Brownies. ‘Claire clearly runs a tremendous unit and instils great skills and confidence in her girls,’ read the nomination. ‘It’s not often we find out the impact we’ve had on people, but in this case both Claire and Clara have made a huge difference.’
Accordingly, Division Commissioner Emma Robertson was delighted to present a County ‘Thanks’ badge to Claire, who stood alongside Clara for a group picture.
‘Clara dealt brilliantly with a very difficult and stressful situation,’ said Jackie on the presentation evening. ‘We’re all very proud of her – she’s a true credit to her family, to her Brownie unit and to Girlguiding Nottinghamshire as a whole.’
