Last updated at 20:17, Thursday, 21 June 2012

An 18-year-old whose father died in a road accident last year has received the top award in the Boys’ Brigade.

FOR DAD: Rees Fisher, from Cockermouth, who is a member of 1st Dearham Boys’ Brigade, has earned the Queen’s Badge

Rees Fisher, of Redmain, near Cockermouth, was presented with the Queen’s Badge in Preston after completing 18 months of work in the 1st Dearham Boys’ Brigade.

The Boys’ Brigade is the oldest and largest Christian youth organisation in the UK and the Queen’s Badge is its highest award.

Rees was assessed on four key areas of volunteering, skills, physical and leadership.

He completed 40 hours volunteer work at the Save the Children charity shop in Cockermouth, he developed his skills on the drums, learned a variety of new sports, and took charge of sessions within the Boys’ Brigade.

However, his father Simon Fisher died in a road accident on the A595 at Bolton Low Houses in February 2011, while Rees was trying to complete the work for his badge.

Rees’s mum Lorraine, sister Charlotte, girlfriend Gemma Mounsey and company captain Paul Gilmour accompanied him to the awards presentation.

He collected the honour along with 19 other Boys’ Brigade members from the north west district.

Rees said: “My dad was really supportive of the Boys’ Brigade. Everything we did, every event, he was a big part of it.

“He would have wanted me to finish the award, so I ploughed through it.

“It was an awful time, but within the Boys’ Brigade I had a lot of support from everyone.

Rees, who has been in the Boys’ Brigade for 13 years, is now on a music course at Carlisle College and is hoping to join the army after he graduates.

He said: “I would definitely say to young people that they should get into the Boys’ Brigade. It sets up good standards and morals.”

Mr Gilmour said: “His dad would have been a very proud man.”

First published at 19:20, Thursday, 21 June 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk