The 2008 Star Woman of the Year will be crowned this week. In the build-up to the ceremony, we are profiling one of our eight finalists each day. Today we turn the spotlight onto a south Shropshire community stalwart.

Former teacher Daphne Jones is one of the hardest-working community volunteers in the Ludlow area.

Described as dynamic, caring, kind and forthright, she’s a stalwart who loves the town where she was born and bred, and has fought hard to preserve its beauty for future generations.

Named Midlander of the Year in the Nationwide & Heritage Lottery Community Awards, she’s involved in a number of projects including the Teme Weirs Trust and Friends of Whitcliffe Common.

Her innovative fundraising for the Teme Weirs Trust helped raise more than £1 million towards an ambitious project to save three crumbling weirs in the local river.

Matthew Green, who was the local MP at the time, described it as “Classic Ludlow – an instance where something needs to be done and people just get on and do it”.

And that sums Daphne up.

Another beautiful aspect of Ludlow to have benefited from Daphne’s fundraising is the 52-acre Whitcliffe Common, a wildlife haven in the shadow of the castle. As a trustee of the Friends of Whitcliffe Common, she’s worked tirelessly and continues to help preserve the stunning beauty spot.

“We all work very hard for the good of the town,” says Daphne. “The Teme Weirs and Whitcliffe Common are both beautiful aspects of Ludlow. I’m proud to be part of a team of volunteers that’s dedicated to preserving them both.”

Those who nominated Daphne for this year’s Star Woman title described her as “a marvellous lady who shows great passion and commitment”.

Daphne is passionate about Ludlow and gives much of her time for the good of the town.

As wardrobe mistress, she was one of the first volunteers for the now famous Ludlow Festival more than 40 years ago, and today also finds time as a volunteer at the Ludlow Food and Drink Festival.

“I’m a doer, not a sitter,” says the committed Ludlovian who has even managed to find time to produce a collection of videos entitled Ludlow Memories, filled with old footage of her much loved town.

“To raise funds for good causes, of course!”