THE founder of an Upton-upon-Severn charity which provides a unique service in the town has died.

John Mortimer helped found Upton Community Care in 1975 with the aim of providing volunteers to do odd jobs for people unable to carry them out themselves.

An ambulance workers' strike in 1990 switched the organisation's focus to providing lifts to hospitals and medical centres.

Today it has 80 members, including 46 drivers, some of who travelled as far as Bristol and Birmingham during 1,121 trips made in 2001, 819 of which were to doctors' appointments. Drivers give lifts to and from the required destination and charge 20p a mile to cover costs. The group also carries out other tasks such as taking library books back, walking dogs and collecting prescriptions.

Fellow founder member Sheila Burley remembered a quietly spoken, kind man who was an excellent social worker who won the confidence of young and old alike with his gentle manner. "He was marvellous," she said. "I was pleased to have known him."

A Quaker, Mr Mortimer also carried out work for other charities and good causes as well as being a national championship-winning bantam chicken enthusiast.

Noel John Mortimer, of Hanley Swan, died aged 75 on Wednesday, December 11, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham from a heart condition. His funeral took place at Worcester Crematorium on Friday, December 20.