TRIBUTES have been paid to popular Whitchurch fundraiser, Margaret Hewson, who died earlier this month aged 71.

Margaret, who passed away on April 3, was well known around Whitchurch, both for her fundraising efforts and as the wife of former mayor Rob Hewson.

A resident of Whitchurch her whole life, Margaret met her husband of 35 years while he was working at the local butchers.

Together they dedicated a large part of their lives to giving back to a community, that Rob says 'gave them so much'.

Rob says although they did everything together, he is happy admit that Margaret was the brains and driving force.

"She made the charity work we did be as incredible as it possibly could be, resulting in us raising around £160,000 over the years for many local and national charities," said Rob.

"Although we dedicated a lot of our time to charity work, one thing we were always adamant about was that the credit was given to the people of Whitchurch as we always believed it was the people and their incredible community spirit that made it all possible."

It was thanks to this charity work that Margaret and Rob were awarded the Community Champions award by Free Radio for the whole of the West Midlands in 2013, something Rob says the pair were 'humbled' by.

But for their family and friends this was no surprise as they had seen the hard work and dedication they had given to some of the local charities, such as Whitchurch Town Band, the local schools, the local churches, the junior football, rugby and cricket clubs, Queensway playing fields and Whitchurch Hospital.

Rob says if ever there was an issue in Whitchurch, Margaret would help raise money to fix it.

He added: "One time in particular Margaret had been to Whitchurch Hospital to have her bloods taken where the nurse was telling her the hospital couldn't afford a genuine blood chair and the one they were using wasn't very suitable.

"Well after her appointment, Margaret came home and told me about the blood chair and said 'we're going to raise the money and get them a chair', and we did.

"But this was the type of person Margaret was, if she knew someone needed help she was always the first to offer her support."

Over the years Margaret became more active in the town supporting her husband as consort when he became mayor of Whitchurch, holding her weekly market tombola stall, and hosting a monthly pub luncheon for the local Age UK.

Rob added: "Although she was very passionate about the charity work she did and the joy it brought her there was nothing she loved more than being a wife, a mother and a grandma.

"Our lives will never be the same again without her but they will always be that much brighter because we knew her.

"She will always be loved and missed by her husband, her six children and all her grandchildren."