WHEN Margaret Baddley retires as a Brownie leader next year she will not only leave behind many appreciative members, but also a new leader who was once a part of her group.

Although she still has many months in her role as Brown Owl with the 1st Biddulph Moor Brownies, she is preparing to hand over to a new leader next December.

Margaret, aged 63, pictured right, has been the leader of the 1st Biddulph Moor Brownies for 24 years.

And the new leader will be one of her own former Brownies, Maddie Wilkinson, aged 23, also of Biddulph Moor.

Helping her will be youth leader Stevie Jepson, who has now nominated Margaret on behalf of the pack for the Volunteer of the Year award in The Sentinel's Our Heroes competition.

Stevie, aged 16, said: "It would be great if she could get recognition for all the hard work and time she has put in to help these girls.

"Even though she is retiring next year she is probably the biggest brownie we have got and still enjoys a good game of rounders."

Every week at Biddulph Moor church hall, Margaret leads 23 Brownies and three youth leaders through a range of activities. And over the years she has seen many changes in the organisation.

"Rather than tying knots and making fires by rubbing two sticks together," she says, "Brownies today can gain badges in horse-riding, computers and chess.

"The biggest change is the uniform. Before it was a brown dress with a yellow tie and a brown bob hat. Now they can wear it all mix and match with a variety of tops."

Margaret first helped to lead the 1st Biddulph Moor Brownies with her neighbour Olwen Hammersley.

Olwen and Margaret both had six-year-old daughters who attended the pack, Ruth Hammersley and Elizabeth Baddley. When Olwen left it was Margaret who took control.

Margaret said: "I shall miss seeing the girls change. They come into Brownies all shy and quiet and I see them change and develop confidence before they move on to Guides.

"You feel the years passing you by when you see them growing up before your eyes - progressing to Guides, going to university, getting qualified and some of them getting married and raising families."