ONE of scouting’s highest honours has been presented to East Lancashire’s county commissioner at Windsor Castle.

As well as turning 56, Glen Fendall also got to rub shoulders with Chief Scout Bear Grylls and the Duke of Kent at the St George’s Day ceremony.

Glen, from Billington, has been involved with the movement for more than 35 years and was given the Silver Wolf 'for services of the most exceptional character'.

Originally instituted by Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the award is only handed out sparingly to scouting stalwarts.

Mr Fendall has admitted he might not have initially taken to their ideals, when he joined the Cubs in Cheadle Hulme but he returned as a teenager to help run a pack and has not looked back since.

Relocating to Lancashire around 23 years ago and wanting to become reacquainted with the organisation, he became involved again with a Scout troop in Whalley.

Later he became Clitheroe’s district commissioner and was deputy commissioner before assuming his current role.

Mr Fendall, who is a senior business support manager for BT, said: “We are always talking about ‘skills for life’ in scouting.

"People might think we’re all about boys going camping and having adventures.

“But we’re mixed, as everyone now knows and while there are camps, and similar activities, we are able to offer much more.

“If I’m honest my life would have been completely different if it was not for scouting as it’s helped me out in a number of different aspects.”

He was accompanied to the Windsor ceremony by his partner, Joanne Carey, who is responsible for the Explorer Scouts section in East Lancashire and is also the area’s safeguarding officer.

“It was a memorable way to celebrate my birthday and the weather was nice to us. The Duke of Kent and the chief Scout inspected the parade later as part of the event.”

The award for Mr Fendall comes at a record-breaking time for East Lancashire Scouts, which now has more than 3,800 members.