She leaves behind a legacy of divorced couples. But 87-year-old Anne Krish can look back on her volunteering work with pride after helping nearly 1,700 families through separation and divorce.

Mrs Krish, of Burnham Deepdale, was until recently the longest serving member of the Norfolk Family Mediation Service charity (NFMS).

The charity helps separating couples agree on their futures and those of their children, as well as offering property and finance advice.

Mrs Krish volunteered at the charity for 27 years and decided to retire at the end of last year.

She said: 'Sometimes you might want to bang the heads of parents together who only think about themselves and not their children.

'But it can be very moving that people who once loved but have come to hate each other can put that to one side to put their children first.

'I have been constantly surprised about how positively people respond to mediation when all seems irreconcilable.

'Times have obviously changed. Now the age profile of parents we see is often younger, and I have mediated several times where an unborn child is involved.

'Mediation with a charity like NFMS continues to offer separating couples the best and most cost-effective way to sort out their future lives.'

She joined NFMS in 1989 when she moved full-time to Norfolk, having had a home in the county since the 1960s.

Stephen Burke, chairman of NFMS, said: 'Anne is a great example to all of us.

'She has made a huge contribution to NFMS since 1989 and has touched the lives of literally thousands of families in Norfolk.'

The charity is inviting people to a drop-in session tomorrow as part of national campaign Family Mediation Week.

The event is between 11am-3pm at the Charing Cross Centre, 17-19 St John Maddermarket, Norwich.

Are you retiring after many years of service? Email newsdesk@archant.co.uk