Just like the famous punch she served each year to all taking part in Coverack's Christmas Day charity swim, Pippa Englefield was a wonderful mix of fun paired with a serious commitment to the local community.

Now, following her death on Tuesday last week aged 77, next week's 50th anniversary of the event will be held in her memory.

A former leader of Cornwall County Council, Pippa rose through the ranks as an independent councillor and was happiest when working on the adoption committee, which she continued to serve for five years longer than officially allowed.

Other achievements included pushing for St Keverne Fire Service to be trained as paramedics, while as chair of the Domestic Violence & Abuse Committee Pippa made sure there was funding for police to be trained to work with victims in a positive manner.

She was also a keen supporter of education, becoming a founder member on the board of governors at Mullion School, where she remained active for more than 20 years. She went on to also be a founding member of the governing board at Truro College, as well as support St Keverne School, Grade Ruan School and, with a passion for special needs, Kernow School.

Just as important to her was fundraising for local charities. For many years she was past chair of the St Keverne and Coverack fundraising committee for Cancer Research UK and was instrumental in the organisation of each year's Coverack Christmas Day swim.

Her punch, served to warm up swimmers after they returned from the sea, was legendary - and indeed, one of her last acts before she died was to write down the all-important recipe so that the tradition could continue.

She also held legendary jazz concerts in her garden, raising more than £40,000 for Cornish charities over 25 years.

Such was her love of the music that a jazz band will play as people take their seats for her funeral this Friday, at St Keverne Church, at 11am.

Her family has asked that anyone attending wear no black clothes and for family flowers only, although donations will be taken in aid of the St Keverne and Coverack branch of Cancer Research UK.

After the funeral a gathering will take place in her beloved Coverack, at The Paris.

Pippa had a love of the sea from growing up in Coverack and at one stage in her life was a hostess onboard ocean liners. It was on the SS Iberia that she met her late husband John and within a month he was proposing marriage.

They bought her wedding outfit in Sydney and her wedding ring in Fiji, marrying in January of 1969.

They came home to Coverack to raise their children, Suzan and William, and moved to Ponsongath where they embarked upon a lifelong quest of transforming a hay field into a garden that became a lifetime of love and work.

Pippa had initially trained in general nursing at Guys Hospital, before further training in psychiatry. She returned to Cornwall to practise but ended up working in the theatre of Truro City Hospital and was among the first intake of nurses at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske.

In retirement, she and John enjoyed travelling, particularly to Australia, New Zealand and the USA. She was also a vocal supporter on the terraces of the Cornish Pirates as a rugby lover and adored her role as 'Nana' and 'YaYa' to her grandchildren Christopher, Robert and Charles.