Great Western Railway has continued the tradition of naming its trains by bestowing Intercity Express Train No. 800021 with the name of an inspirational Scout leader to celebrate 100 years of Scouting in Wales.

The Intercity Express Train was named after Inspirational Scout leader Gill Clay at a special ‘Great Westerners’ ceremony at Swansea station. Gill is 87, a Beaver leader from Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, and the granddaughter of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts.

The ceremony paid tribute to both Gill’s lifetime of dedication to Scouting and to 100 years of Scouting in Wales.

Last year Gill became the 399th person to receive Scouting’s highest honour, the Bronze Wolf Award, the only award presented by the World Scout Committee.

The award recognises outstanding service, commitment, and contributions by volunteers to the Scout Movement.

Great Western ‘Great Westerners’ theme recognises past and present heroes with connections to the company’s network. Other trains that have been named in recognition include Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, NHS founder Aneurin Bevan and best-selling author Agatha Christie.

Many members of the Scout Movement and Gill’s family attended the ceremony to recognise Gill, who has made an extraordinary contribution both to local Scouts and the global Scouting community. The naming of 800021 will help to pay tribute to her commitment and celebrate 100 years of Scouting in Wales.

After the naming ceremony, 800021 Gill Clay operated the 13.22 service from Swansea to London Paddington.

“We are so proud that over 18,000 Scouts of all ages in Wales are being recognised with a train named after one of our most famous members. This year we are celebrating 100 years of devolved Scouting in Wales and this train, launched the day before Founders Day, marks the start of our celebrations. Founders Day is a celebration of the shared values and common goals of 57 million Scouts all over the world as we work towards peace, unity and international friendship. We make these big ambitions a reality with simple acts of kindness in everyday lives – supporting people in our communities and living our promise to help other people. This train is a great reminder of that, and Gill Clay embodies those values and our ambition to leave the world a better place.”

Rhian Moore, Chief Volunteer of ScoutsCymru