A lifetime of selfless community work was recognised after Angela Alder was granted Freedom of the Town of Sawbridgeworth.
Angela was presented with the honour at a ceremony at the town council offices in Sayesbury Manor earlier this month by the then mayor Cllr Ruth Buckmaster.
Cllr Buckmaster paid tribute to the former district and town councillor, outlining her achievements, which include being at the forefront of a joint initiative between Sawbridgeworth Urban District Council and Hertfordshire County Council to build a swimming pool.
The winner of the 2022 Indies’ Lifetime Achievement award has also been heavily involved in providing facilities for children and young people, setting up a youth club and summer play schemes.
Throughout it all she couldn’t have done any of it without her “darling” husband Ronnie and the couple will celebrate 70 years of marriage in August.
Angela’s involvement with the Guides is all important to her and she told the Indie this week she felt the principles of the association “encapsulates exactly what I feel is important in life”.
The 92-year-old said she was “absolutely amazed” to receive the award and it was a “huge honour”.
But she added: “I’m just an ordinary person. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to do my bit.”
After moving to Spellbrook in 1961 she was successfully elected to the urban district council in 1963 and she was proud to reveal she was the first young mother to be chairman.
That helped in being able to follow her passion in providing facilities for young people. “I knew the needs of young people,” she said.
Although still chair of The Hayley Centre, Angela said she wanted to spend more time with her “darling man” and her family – or tribe as she renamed it – which consists of her three children, nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.