Tributes paid to woman involved in Girlguiding for six decades
Born on January 9 1931, Brenda Platt’s involvement with Girlguiding began
when she became a guiding assistant in 1951 at the age of 17.
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Hide AdHer passion for helping children stayed with her throughout her life, being involved with the
Guides for 60 years and working as secretary at St Peter’s Primary School for 24 years until
her retirement in 1996.
She married her husband Brian in 1956 and they enjoyed a long and happy life together.
She is survived by her two sons, Jeremy and Andrew, and five grandchildren, Joel, Owen,
Ruben, Austin and Sheena.
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Hide AdShe is described as a “caring”, “loving” and “organised” person, having spent many years
fundraising for charity.
She went on to work as a guider before running the 5th Wakefield (Horbury St Peter’s)
division as a Brown Owl between 1968 and 1983.
Subsequently, Brenda took on roles including secretary and the commissioner for
Wakefield’s Gaskell District.
Between 1983 and 1989, she was the first ever commissioner for Wakefield South Division,
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Hide Adlater becoming president and going on to take up roles with the Guides Trefoil arm up until
2010.
Brenda was also a founding member of the charity organisation, Lamplighters. Lamplighters
staged countless fundraising events to support good causes across West Yorkshire and, by
2008 when Brenda retired from the group, they had raised well over £100,000.
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Hide AdBrenda was a keen singer who sang with Horbury Singers, with whom she was still singing
into her 80s. She was chair of the choir between 2006 and 2010.
Her son, Andrew Platt, said: “My mum was a very giving individual. She had a very long
connection with Guiding, she was drawn to working in the community and making the world
a better place.
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Hide Ad“When that came to an end, she was involved in setting up the Lamplighters organisation,
which was an extension of the same kind of desire to make a contribution.
“She was a very kind and organised individual. She got an enormous amount of joy out of
working with children and young people ever since she joined the Guides, with a number of
girls from the Guides attending her wedding.”