A WOMAN who saved a Halstead Brownie group from closing is the Gazette’s Community Hero of the week.

Margaret Tyler, 58, spends much of her time running the 2nd Halstead Brownies and the 5th Halstead Guides, and even stepped in to run a sis - ter group when its leader stood down.

She said: “I didn’t think twice about it, when I heard their leader would have to leave due to poor health.

“We have a real guide community here so I didn’t think twice about stepping in to help them out, I couldn’t bear to see another group close down because they couldn’t find a leader.”

Margaret, of New Street, Halstead, is the county commissioner for Guides and has devoted much of her time supporting guide groups for the last 30 years.

She is also involved with helping run interna - tional trips for Guides and last summer travelled to Peru as a first aider while the group of girls completed charity work and did work on the famous Inca Trails.

Next year, Margaret looks set to travel to India while Guides complete a nine day course of charity work with people living in slums.

If that didn’t keep her busy enough, Margaret is also heavily involved in Halstead in Bloom, regularly helping with the flowers and litter picks Margaret was nominated by Daisy Mayes and all the leaders in the 2nd Halstead Brownie group.

Daisy said: “Margaret is a tireless champion of young people.

“She is there providing inspiration and inde - pendence to her young Brownies and she stands by her girls as they enter the often awkward teen years as Guides, a constant and supportive presence, non-judgemental and kind.

“The love these young people have for her is reflected in the number of young women who stay on as young leaders, inspired by Margaret’s ex - ample and keen to ensure that new generations of children are offered the same opportunities as they enjoyed.”