Acton Girlguide Leader Receives British Empire Medal
Jennifer Dudley has given four decades of service to young people
Jennifer Dudley
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June 25, 2026
A long-serving Girlguiding volunteer from Acton has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours for more than four decades of service to young people across London and the South East.
Jennifer Dudley, who leads Brownie, Guide and Ranger units in Ealing and serves as lead safeguarding volunteer for Girlguiding’s London and South East England region, has been awarded the British Empire Medal. Her honour marks 46 years of continuous volunteering since she first became a leader in 1979.
Jennifer’s connection to Girlguiding began much earlier, when she joined the 4th Acton Brownies at the age of seven. Since then she has supported generations of girls and young women, offering weekly activities, trips and skills-based challenges through the organisation’s programme. Alongside her unit leadership, she has served as a county commissioner, and is also a trainer and mentor for other volunteers.
Her contribution has been recognised locally as well as nationally. Earlier this year she received the inaugural Mayor of Ealing’s community service award, and she has previously been honoured with a Jack Petchey Foundation Special Leader’s Award.
Jennifer said she was proud to receive the BEM and described her years in Girlguiding as deeply rewarding. She said the most memorable moments were seeing girls gain confidence as they tried new activities or mastered new skills for the first time.
Jennifer (right) with a local girlguide group
One of her Rangers, 16-year-old Dilys, said Dudley had shaped her entire guiding journey from Rainbows through to Rangers. She described unit meetings as enjoyable and supportive, adding that Dudley’s leadership had helped her and others grow in confidence.
Amanda Teasel, chief commissioner for the London and South East England region, said the award recognised Dudley’s consistent commitment to Girlguiding at both local and regional level.
Girlguiding, which has almost 80,000 volunteers across the UK, offers a wide range of roles for adults and young people, from helping at weekly meetings to taking on leadership, mentoring or behind-the-scenes responsibilities. Opportunities for young volunteers begin at age ten, including roles such as young leaders and peer educators.
More information about volunteering with Girlguiding is available at www.girlguiding.org.uk.
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