Maria was delighted to be asked to take the salute at the annual Scouts St George's Day Parade on Saturday 23rd April
Maria was invited by the Basingstoke East Scout District to participate on the day of the Annual Parade and Service, where more than a thousand young people from local Scouts, Cubs, Beavers and Explorers spent their Saturday morning parading through the town and met near Eastrop Park to celebrate.
Maria said “It is wonderful to see the young people of Basingstoke taking part in such an important celebration and it was a great privilege to be part of the group taking the salute and to hear the renewal of their pledges. The Scouting movement has never been more popular and goes from strength to strength in Basingstoke. This means thousands of young people can benefit from the team work, commitment and community spirit that Scouting offers.
Maria added “Scouting brings so many community benefits to adults and young people. I also pay tribute to the hard work of the many parents and volunteers who work to ensure the continued success of the Scout movement in Basingstoke.
I urge all local employers to support their staff to volunteer so that additional Scout, Beaver and Cub Packs can be established to meet the need of our growing town.”