Middlewich teenager to act as steward at royal garden party (From Middlewich Guardian)

Middlewich teenager to act as steward at royal garden party

12:00pm Saturday 17th July 2010 in News By David Morgan

A TEENAGER will soon be rubbing shoulders with the royal family after becoming the first person to gain the top award from Middlewich Boys’ Brigade.

Nick Brown, of Ash Grove, Middlewich, is the first member to be awarded the Queen’s Badge since the brigade started 25 years ago.

The 18-year-old has now been selected as one of the four ‘Queensmen’ from the north west who will act as steward during the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, July 20.

“I don’t know if I’ll meet the Queen but if I do it’ll be breathtaking,” said Nick.

Nick has been working towards the award for the last two years.

But it is actually the culmination of his 13 years with the brigade as he had to gain all the other badges to get to this level.

“It’s a great honour,” added Nick, who attended Cledford School and Middlewich High School.

“It took a lot of perseverance to do it. It was hard to stick at it but that made it feel even more of an achievement.”

The great and the good of Middlewich joined together to share the celebration at the United Reformed Church in Queen Street.

This included Fiona Bruce MP, mayor Mike Parsons and Martin Forster, headteacher of Middlewich High school while David Cooke, who established the brigade 25 years ago, presented the award.

Fiona Bruce said: “I congratulate Nick on his remarkable achievement.

“Knowing young men like him and the 1st Middlewich Boys Brigade gives me real confidence that we have some remarkable youngsters growing up to be our next generation of leaders in the Cheshire area.”

Among a number of challenges, Nick had to have leadership training and spend 30 hours working in the community, which included helping with fundraising at St Luke’s Hospice.

Nick, who works as an appointments officer at Leighton Hospital, also spent four days painting doors at a centre for under-privileged and terminally ill children in Poland.

“It makes you appreciate what you’ve got,” he said.

Debbie Grierson, captain of Middlewich Boys’ Brigade, added: “This is the culmination of Nick’s years of work in the company and we are extremely pleased for and proud of him.”

Middlewich Boys’ Brigade is a group which provides activities for young people between five and 18 and meets at the United Reformed Church in Queen Street.