POOLE Scouts wished their founder a happy 158th birthday by garlanding his statue with a laurel wreath.

Scouts, cubs, sea scouts and guides gathered in a biting wind on Poole Quay to honour the bronze statue of founder Lord Robert Baden-Powell.

The seated statue, erected in 2008, gazes out towards Brownsea Island, where the founder of the now worldwide Scouting movement held his first experimental camp in 1907.

Poole mayor Cllr Peter Adams, accompanied by the mayoress, his wife Brenda, placed the garland over the statue’s head, in front of volunteers, family and friends who turned out for the short Founder’s Day ceremony on Sunday.

Andrew Williams, chairman of Poole District Scouts, pointed out that from those beginnings there were now an estimated 25 to 40 million scouts worldwide.

“We are very proud of the achievements of Baden-Powell and of how much Poole has contributed to this wonderful movement,” said the mayor.

“It does so much to improve the opportunities of privileged and underprivileged children all over the world.”

He added: “I must emphasise how fortunate we are to live in Poole, a lovely area and very prosperous.

“But the real wealth of Poole are the volunteers and people who help.”

Mr Williams pointed out how much the world had changed since that first camp on the island in Poole Harbour.

“Still scouting is the same. Asking you, challenging you, inspiring you to be the best you can be.

“That’s what we have to thank this remarkable man for,” he said.

The service ended with the Scout Prayer, which was spoken by former district chairman Brian Woolgar.