Chesterfield's very own European seagull screech champion is honoured with Scouts Commissioner's Commendation Award

Nine-year-old Cooper Wallace has been presented with the Scouts Commissioner’s Commendation Award for ‘competing in an international event and being an inspiration to all at 1st Highfields (St Andrews) Scouts’.

Charlotte Summers, who leads the Cubs, said: “I’m very proud of him. I’ve never had one of my Cubs get as much recognition and attention as Cooper has managed to do. We’ve had some do little competitions in and around Derbyshire but I’ve never had one go international.”

Cooper has been interviewed for numerous television and radio stations in the UK and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand since he became the first English contestant to win the championship in which contestants mimic the sound of a seagull.

This week during his half-term break from Abercrombie Primary School, Cooper, his sister Shelby and their mum and dad Lauren and Andrew were guests of the Natural History Museum in London for the opening of a bird exhibition.

Charlotte said: “All the work that Cooper has been doing with the gull screeching and the fact that he’s been across to Belgium made us approach our District Lead Volunteer Ben Widdowson and say that we wanted to give him an award. Cooper has already achieved his Chief Scout Award which is one of the top awards so we asked whether we could award him the Commissioner’s Commendation Award. Ben thought it was an amazing idea to give Cooper that award and show him how much he was appreciated within Scouting.”

Cooper was presented with his certificate and badge in front of the Cubs, leaders from other sections and his parents.

Charlotte said: “Cooper is a lovely lad, he’s got so much energy. He is always willing to get stuck in and get involved with everything we’re doing. There’s never anything that’s too hard or too much of a battle for him. You never don't know that Cooper is in the room, he's so bright, so bubbly and the kids love him."