THE Trustees of Hereford Municipal Charities (HMC) have said farewell to the longest serving trustee in their 180 year history (1837-2017).

At the annual Christmas luncheon for the residents and trustees held at the Chase Hotel on December 13, the chairman, Derek Duffett, made a farewell presentation to Mrs Jennifer Davies, who retired as a trustee at the end of December 2017 after 40 years of dedicated and devoted service.

First appointed as a trustee in 1977, Jennifer was unanimously elected to the chair in January 2011 – the first woman in the trust's history to be chairman. Jennifer was born in Newport, South Wales, and worked as a pharmacist for Boots in Risca before moving in 1961 to Hereford with her husband, Martin (a retired solicitor and senior partner with the local Hereford company of TA Matthews). They have two daughters and three grandchildren. Jennifer is well known in Hereford circles for her charitable and voluntary work. Apart from her work with HMC, Jennifer regularly helps at St Michael's Hospice and the Health Centre at Gaol St, as well as being a school governor and a trustee on two other local charities.

Speaking about her farewell, Jennifer said: 'I am of course sorry to be leaving the HMC. I have enjoyed every minute of being a trustee, but I feel that the time is right to retire after 40 years. I wish the residents of HMC well for the future. I know they are in very capable hands with the current trustees and staff.'

Hereford Municipal Charities is based in Hereford.