Passing of our founder Hilda Lawrence
26th October 2015
It is with sadness that we report the passing of our founder Hilda Lawrence who died on Friday 23rd October, aged 86.
Hilda came to Stevenage with her husband Bill in 1954. She was a member of the Stevenage Development Cooperation from 1965 until it was abolished and replaced by the borough council in 1980.
Always passionate about social issues, Hilda became a Labour councillor and served the Bedwell and Bedwell Plash wards between 1976 and 1999. In 1989 she was appointed the town’s first female mayor.
It was during this time that she invited local businesses to a lunch with the mayor and convinced them to help create the Stevenage Community Trust.
Trust chairman Robert Stewart said: “We go through life and on rare occasions we encounter life changing inspirational individuals often someone completely selfless. Hilda Lawrence was one such person that has left an incredible legacy by founding the Stevenage Community Trust 25 years ago as just one of her many accomplishments.”
