Tributes to 'tireless' Northamptonshire Scout leader Bob Peden who has died

Tributes have been paid to former police officer and Scout leader Bob Peden whose death has been announced at the age of 60.

He died at Kettering General Hospital on Tuesday, January 17.

Volunteering with Northamptonshire Scouting for more than 30 years, Mr Peden had recently stood down from his Deputy County Commissioner role.

Paying his respects to his colleague Dean Smith, County Commissioner for Northamptonshire, spoke warmly of Mr Peden’s ‘tireless’ work.

Mr Smith said: “It with great personal sadness that I must inform you that Bob Peden passed away whilst being treated at Kettering General Hospital.“Bob had given over thirty years’ service to Northamptonshire Scouts, only recently standing down in 2022 after over nine years in the role of Deputy County Commissioner for Programme.

"Bob worked tirelessly with two County Commissioners to shape the county for our young people.”

For over seven years Mr Peden was the Group Scout Leader at 1st Burton Latimer. It became the largest Scout Group in the county for many years.

Mr Smith said: “Bob was also in the totally unique position of being the District Commissioner for four districts in the county. First in Wellingborough for over three years, and then both Kettering and Rockingham Forest Districts before they merged to become Glendon District, a role he remained in for eight years. Bob was unique.

"He will be sorely missed by his friends and Scouting colleagues both here in the county and wider. Our thoughts at this most difficult time are with his wife Cathy, and their two children Lucy and Anna.”

Adrian Watts volunteered alongside Mr Peden in Burton Latimer with the Scout Group.

He said: “Bob was a big part of my Scouting journey in Burton Latimer. His support for our troop’s more traditional style was always appreciated as I know he probably had to defend us at other levels. He never lost the desire to be involved with the grass roots activities and was always focused on ensuring the young people in our care were at the centre of all we did.

"His leadership also encouraged us to branch out within the world of Scouting and it was through this in 1999 that I met one of my dearest friends, Klaus Tegeder, who is still the group scout leader of the nearest group to our twin town in Thüringen, Germany.

"On a personal level we lived in the same street in Burton Latimer for many years and I could always look to Bob for sage advice, an encouraging chat or to borrow tools. You’ll be sorely missed by many Bob, but you can be proud of the number of lives you have touched for the better in a long and distinguished Scouting career.

Mr Tegeder added: “I had the privilege of knowing Bob and met him and his family at my trips to Burton Latimer when we met the Scouts. I was much expressed about his enthusiastic nature and the deep friendship in Scouting which he has for all Scouts around him. By his untimely passing, our Scouting family has lost one of its well-known leaders and will be poorer now without him.”

Mr Peden’s funeral will take place at Kettering Crematorium at 11am on Friday, February 17.