An appeal to honour the memory of a woman whose voluntary work had a huge impact on North Walsham has raised �1,300.

Cash from the Ellen Grover appeal will be used to buy a rowan tree and equipment for the town's Victory Swim and Fitness Centre.

Mrs Grover, who died last October aged 79, was the driving force behind a local campaign to raise the funds which enabled the pool to be built.

Among a range of other voluntary community roles she also held, Mrs Grover was a long-standing North Walsham Town Councillor and former mayor, chairman of North Walsham in Bloom on two occasions, and an active member of the town's twinning association with Friesenried in Germany.

Marion Lane, secretary of North Walsham in Bloom, said they hoped to arrange a tree-planting ceremony in the autumn and would be talking to pool chiefs about what equipment was needed.

Mrs Grover chaired the town's pool committee for the last leg of a 20-year campaign which led to the �4m pool opening in November 2003.

'Ellen was a stalwart in getting the pool built,' said Mrs Lane. 'Things hadn't been going well, costs were going up and she took it on board, with help, and pushed it on. She was the mainstay and without her, I don't think we would have a pool in North Walsham today.'

Book and cake stalls in North Walsham have also helped boost the appeal coffers, together with donations.

Mrs Lane added: 'Ellen was a very strong personality who cared very, very much for North Walsham. It played a big part in her life.'