Tributes paid to woman involved in Girlguiding for six decades

Brenda Platt, with her husband of 58 years, Brian Platt.

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.

Her 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.

She 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,

later 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.

Brenda 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.

“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.”

Tributes have been paid to a woman from Horbury who dedicated her life to helping children through Girlguiding, who died aged 88.