HEREFORD’s largest employer is mourning the loss of a woman whose dedication and service helped the business win the first ever coveted Diamond County Award.

Colleagues and friends at Cargill, where 55-year-old Liz Connors, said she would be “sorely missed”.

In 2010, a strong dedication and passion for her work earned Liz the company’s Volunteer of the Year award.

Her career with Cargill began with the job of customer account manager for a leading customer.

More recently, Liz, who worked at Cargill for 35 years, was appointed customer services manager.

She is remembered by colleagues at Faraday Road as someone with a “great passion for her work, her colleagues and the community in which she lived and worked”.

As well as her standard duties, Liz took on more responsibility and chaired Cargill’s employee-led council.

During her time as chair, she was not afraid to get “stuck in”, co-ordinating Cargill’s sponsorship of the Hereford Food Festival and the Christmas pantomime at the Courtyard.

This commitment saw Liz involved in three London moonwalks, cycling 150 miles for charity in 2009, and meeting Princess Anne at a Cargill community event.

She was also an active member of the Hereford and Worcester Canal Trust and the Wye Miniaturists.

Liz was instrumental in Cargill’s application, and subsequent winning of the Diamond County Award – a prize recognising those businesses seen to go that extra mile for their community

Paul Deneen, who hosted the Diamond Awards event, said: “She fought her illness with courage, bravery and determination.”

"She was a “most positive, helpful and supportive individual."