Top guider Denise is back in her home town

The country's top girl guide official, Denise King, will visit her home town when she speaks at the Oldham guides' annual meeting next week.

Denise, Chief Executive of Girlguiding UK, will be at Trinity Methodist Church in Royton, on Thursday, for Oldham East and West guides' meeting to catch up up with friends and family.

Born in Oldham in 1966, she was a brownie at Zion Methodist Church, Lees, and has been active as a member of Girlguiding UK ever since.

She went to Hulme Grammar School for Girls, and studied at Keele University where she graduated with BA honours in history and economics.

She became a trainee accountant before moving to London for an international job with World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

In the early 1990s she travelled extensively in central and eastern Europe, helping to re-establish guiding as a voluntary organisation for girls and young women, led by women.

In 1995 Denise joined the headquarters staff of Girlguiding UK in London, and became chief executive in 2001.

She leads the largest youth organisation in the UK with a membership in excess of 500,000, and an annual turnover of £11 million.

She has also served as a trustee with the YWCA in England and Wales and as a director of the National Youth Agency.