TRIBUTES have been pouring in following the death of a shining example of a committed councillor, described by her son as a "whirlwind of energy".

Penny Wride, who was a parish councillor for over 25 years in Ham and Stone and a Stroud district councillor for the Vale ward for 8 years, passed away on Saturday, December 8 at the age of 69.

Born Penny Ann Ewart Williams at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, she was instilled with a love of travel and adventure and a duty to help the community by her parents, Stanley and Mary Williams of Yatton Somerset.

At a young age she was involved as a Red Cross helper, a steward at the local horse and flower show and a Poppy Day Collector, which she carried on doing as recently as this year.

Penny was also a member of the Yeo Valley young farmers, where she learned to milk cows, drive a tractor, make cream and hand rear lambs.

Her first experience of politics came at the age of 14 when she joined the Young Conservative.

At 15 she debated 'The Repeal of Hanging' at the South West area conference in Torquay with David Hunt and Linda Chalker.

It was a friend of Penny from the Young Conservatives who, on Penny's 22nd birthday, introduced her to a young mysterious man from Kenya she would go on to marry: David Wride.

They married at Yatton Church on April 5, 1972, and then later that year went out to Kenya.

Once there, Penny did not have a work permit, so she decided to set up a charity shop in Nairobi with support from the Swiss Embassy.

She managed to get clothing and items shipped for free from Europe and also sold items crafted by employed disabled people.

She continued giving back in when she was back in the UK - for example, she decided to be a part of the local stakeholder's group for Berkeley nuclear station.

At one of its meetings Penny had the idea to convert the dis-used laboratory complex into Berkeley Technical College.

It was for this reason that the college decided to name the road that runs through the college Penny Lane.

At her funeral on Friday, December 28 at All Saints Church, Stone, Penny's son delivered her eulogy, saying: "Mum would always consider the other persons point of view or be thinking of helping others.

"One of the last things she asked us in the hospital was to arrange a nice hamper for all the lovely nurses and staff in the oncology ward.

"Not just a box of chocolates or biscuits but a hamper with tea, coffee and other items to cater for everyone’s different likes.

"Mum was always so positive and always could see the best in people and in situations.

"She had a strong moral compass and always wanted to make a positive, tangible difference to the most deserving in society.

"With a passion for cooking and family gatherings mum appreciated the importance of family and friends whether this be meeting for a weekend away with her old Kenyan friends or her gym’s WhatsApp group, 'The Fit Chicks'."

Penny's time on the district council, which put Ebley Mill's flag at half mast after her death, began when she was elected in 2010 as a Conservative.

Her party colleagues released a statement on news of her death, saying: "Penny was a remarkable woman.

"She was driven by a love of the human race and constantly thought about how she might help people to have a better life.

"She wasn't political by nature, she just felt that Conservative values were the way her wishes could best be delivered."