THE founder of a popular social group for women in Yate has died from complications with dementia.

Ann Slade first formed the Yate Townswomen’s Guild 30 years ago to give other ladies a social life.

Ann, who was 76 when she died on June 25, arranged for the first Guild meeting to take place at Yate Parish Hall, on Station Road, and soon saw numbers swell. The group enjoyed numerous visits and social activities which also involved family members.

Due to its popularity, the group amalgamated with the Chipping Sodbury Guild 20 years ago to form the current Yate and District Townswomen’s Guild, of which Ann was secretary, treasurer and chairman.

Her husband Michael told the Gazette: “She liked to keep herself busy.

“The Guild first met in the early 1980s, Ann was home from work by then after having children and wanted something social to do.

“It just grew and grew.”

Ann was born in Bristol in 1939 and worked in various office jobs before marrying Michael, 82, in 1961. They moved to Yate in 1966 and have lived in Woodmans Vale, Chipping Sodbury since 1993 and had three children, Martin, Tony and Catherine followed by six grandchildren.

A lifelong asthma sufferer, Ann worked alongside the National Asthma Campaign and formed a local support group.

“Since I met her she has always taken inhalers around with her and has had bad lungs which have got worse and worse. She formed a local support group for other people with asthma and organised a charity walk over the new Severn Bridge the day before it opened.”

Ann, who had been living with dementia for the past 18 months, developed pneumonia and was admitted to Southmead Hospital five weeks before her death.

“She was a brilliant person,” said her husband. “She had a really good brain on her and did a lot of work in the community.”

Ann’s funeral will take place at Westerleigh Crematorium on Wednesday, July 20 (11.30am) with a collection for the National Asthma Campaign.