Six Norfolk Scouts were at Windsor Castle on Sunday to receive the Queen's Scout Award - the highest honour a Scout can achieve.

Norwich Evening News: Norfolk Scouts at Windsor Castle to receive the Queen's Scout Award (from left) Annika O'Brien, Chrystal Nicholls, Sebastian Ashwell, Shane Chase, Leon Wilde and Steven Young.Norfolk Scouts at Windsor Castle to receive the Queen's Scout Award (from left) Annika O'Brien, Chrystal Nicholls, Sebastian Ashwell, Shane Chase, Leon Wilde and Steven Young. (Image: Submitted - April 2013)

The Duchess of Cambridge, UK Scouting's most high-profile volunteer, joined 400 Scouts to celebrate the awards.

Among those 400 were Shane Chase, Annika O'Brien and Leon Wilde, all aged 25 and from Norwich, as well as Chrystal Nicholls, 26, and Steven Young, 22, from Dereham and 19-year-old Sebastian Ashwell from King's Lynn.

Since the Duchess joined the Scouts last year, 1,350 women have joined as volunteers across the UK and in Norfolk there are now 1,400 female Scouts, up from 760 in the county 10 years ago.

The Queen's Scout Award recognises personal achievement, endeavour and service to others, and is the ultimate goal of Scouts in the UK.

This includes providing service to the community for 12 months, learning a new skill for 12 months, completing a three-night expedition and a four-night residential project in an unfamiliar environment, as well as completing 18 nights away, of which 12 must be camping.

For more information about joining the Scouts, call 01603 502246 or go to www.norfolkscouts.org.uk