Beloved Scout and Guide leader, 81, remembered as 'the essence of Cox Green Scouts'

“For us in Cox Green, she was the glue that held us together. Without a doubt.”

A long-serving Scout leader, described as ‘the essence of Cox Green Scouts’, has been remembered after her death aged 81.

Shirley Hammond joined Cox Green as a Guide leader in the 1970s, and during her more than 30 years service to the troop saw many new smiling youngsters join the ranks.  

More than 100 people - from Shirley’s direct family and her Scouting family - turned out to celebrate her life at a funeral and wake in Gerrards Cross on Friday, November 22.

She died on November 2 after a short illness.

Martin Mahoney, 73, Cox Green group lead volunteer – a role once held by Shirley – paid tribute to his fellow Scout, whom he knew for more than 20 years.

“Scouting and Guiding were Shirley’s life,” he said.  

“She was committed and generous, with that ability to draw people in and enable people to say ‘you know, I think I want to get involved in this’.”

Shirley was born in Southport, Merseyside, on November 30, 1942.

From a young age, she threw herself into Guiding, becoming a group leader.

When she moved to Maidenhead in 1977, she brought her love of the organisation along too.  

It was also through Scouting that she met her husband Clive – a Scout leader at Cox Green.

The couple played a key role in organising the construction of a new scout hall for the group in the late 1990s.

They also helped Cox Green Scouts grow – taking on a new Cub pack and an Explorer troop.

“I think it’s a tribute to her that we’ve got a thriving scout group now, and what I think is a lovely Scout hall that we use,” Martin said.

Around 120 youngsters are members of the group today.  

Family - be that through Scouts, Guides or her direct family - was at the heart of Shirley’s life.  

“She just lived for her family,” said Shirley’s daughter Ruth Beale, 54. “The biggest smiles would be on her face when she had all of us with her together.”

Before she died, Shirley gifted Ruth’s son Alex, 15, her young leader’s shirt – which he now wears. Alex is becoming a young leader at 1st Twyford Scouts.

After a long association with Maidenhead, Shirley and Clive moved to Stubbington near Fareham in 2018.

When she moved to the South Coast, Shirley joined Trefoil – a group connecting older Guides to help out in the community.

“Really, the whole point of them moving to Stubbington was to get away from Scouting,” Ruth said. “But she just couldn’t do it, bless her.”

Martin said: “We [Scout leaders] do it because we enjoy the connection with Scouting and the people involved in it, and I think Shirley was perhaps the essence of that.

“She was able to draw people in and keep them motivated.

“For us in Cox Green, she was the glue that held us together. Without a doubt.”