Leader retires from 1st Shaw-Cum-Donnington Brownies after 53 years of service

A NEWBURY Brownie leader has retired after giving more than 50 years of service to the movement.

Janet Wood said goodbye to the group after spending 53 years with the 1st Shaw-Cum-Donnington Brownies, having first joined around the age of seven.

Mrs Wood, 59, has been a Brown Owl since she was 18 and has spent 41 years leading the unit which has now disbanded following her retirement.

She said: “It has been an absolutely brilliant journey and I couldn’t have done it without the fantastic team beside me.

“Brownies has opened so many doors in life and it has been glorious to see the girls thrive and blossom and learn new skills.

“It is a wonderful organisation and it really is the end of an era.”

During the pandemic the Brownies continued to meet via Zoom and more recently they had been meeting outside, however the group took the decision that it was time to step down altogether.

Throughout Mrs Wood’s leadership over 500 girls from nine different schools have come through the Shaw-Cum-Donnington Brownie unit and at her wedding the Brownies did a guard of honour.

Mrs Wood intends to take some time away and plans to possibly help out in an admin role for the district.

In 2018 Mrs Wood won the West Berkshire Community Volunteer of the Year award for inspiring others with her enthusiasm and her work with three local community groups, including the Brownies.