Ten year old girl from Leeds completes all 53 Brownies badges

Over the past three years, 10-year-old Amelia Wood has worked tirelessly to complete her badge collection.

She has done everything from reading, to horse riding, computing and even water sports – but this year she finally reached her goal.

Amelia’s Brownies leader, Karen Johnson, 50, is amazed at her determination.

Miss Johnson, who leads the 5th Middleton unit, said: “Amelia is the type of girl who has always gone above and beyond. If she thinks she can do it, she will.

“Her achievement is incredible and a really proud moment for our unit. Amelia has done brilliantly.”

That’s not to say the challenge was easy for Amelia, who said getting the crime prevention badge was hard and canoeing was very scary.

However, it has allowed Amelia to discover some hidden talents such as her passion for dance which led to her join a local dance school, Leeds Dynamite.

Her mother, Helen Wood, 41, is really proud of how independent she has been.

The foster carer said: “I had to help her out with some things but most of it she has done all by herself.”

Mrs Wood was a Brownie herself and went on to become a Girl Guides group leader.

It was her Brownie badges that inspired Amelia to try and complete them all.

Mrs Wood said: “I have a blanket covered with all my girl guiding badges that I take to all the camping trips.

“Amelia saw it and wanted one too, except she had to beat how many badges I had.

“She said she was going to get all of them and I didn’t really believe her but she’s done it and I’m so incredibly proud of her.”

This year, Amelia must leave her Brownies badges behind as she moves up to the older girl guiding group, Guides.

But that’s not the end of Amelia’s badge collecting ambitions.

She said: “I’m really proud of my Brownies badges and my friends are very impressed.

“Now I’m going to go and get all the badges in Guides too.”

Miss Johnson is in no doubt that she will reach that goal.

She said: “I think Amelia will go all the way through the girl guiding programme and come back as a leader, just like her mum.

“Except knowing her, she’ll try to lead all three groups guiding groups - Rainbows, Brownies and Guides.”