Elderly and infirm friends and supporters of a Guiding stalwart, who died from motor neurone disease, recently fulfilled a promise made to the community hero before she died.

“Good citizen’ Carol Thornton had spent more than 50 years dedicated to the Girl Guides - achieving the organisation’s highest honour, the Queen’s Guide Award, as a teen - when she died, aged 70, of the degenerative muscle-wasting illness.

To remember her, nearly 40 women, most of them pensioners, took part in a sponsored charity walk on South End Pier, Essex, earlier this month, with all cash raised going to the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

It was organised by the Romford Trefoil Guild, the senior non-uniformed section of the Guides, of which Carol was a member.

“In common with her fellow members, Carol attributed many of her achievements in life to Guide training,” said guild chairman Olive Wenborn. “Carol served Romford’s community really well, becoming one of Baden-Powell’s ‘Good Citizens’!”

Alongside her Guiding work, retired maths teacher Carol was also chairman of the voluntary community neighbourly assistance organisation, Voluntary Care Romford, and sat on the board of governors for Clockhouse Primary School, in Clockhouse Lane, Collier Row.

She was also an active lay member of Collier Row Methodist Church, also in Clockhouse Lane.

“Guild members made a promise to Carol to raise money to help others who might suffer MND and when we appealed to other trefoil guilds throughout Essex West we had an amazing response,” said Olive. “Most of our 39 lady-walkers were pensioners and many more than 80 years of age - the eldest lady aged 93. All walked the length of the pier.”

The group has so far collected £1,500, but hope to reach its £2,000 target.

A further £130 was raised by the Collier Row Guides.

Before she died, Carol had been immobilised in the wake of her condition and could only talk using a computer.

To donate go to justgiving.com/Romford-Trefoil-Guild.

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