Very few people in Cornwall have busier lives in voluntary service than PHA resident board member Carol Bosworth.
She combines home and family life with husband Harry, with a range of community concerns centred mainly on helping children and their parents and improving local housing conditions and amenities.
Over the years the couple have fostered over 50 children. "We are still fostering, for today one is still with us, at 19, as a lodger" she quipped. Add to this their own five children and eight grandchildren and the scope of a hectic life is clear.
Now Carol has been nominated by the board of Penwith Housing Association (PHA) to be one of their three representatives to the Devon and Cornwall Housing Trust, together with Gail Hunt (PHA Chair) and Peter Ede (Vice Chair). Little wonder she has been regularly re-elected a tenant representative to the Association since its formation 11 years ago.
For the past six years Carol has lived at Trewellard, Pendeen but major community work began, and continues, at Treneere, Penzance.
"It was 20 years ago. We were busy fostering with Social Services. We had our own family and friends with children and there was a need for play space for the youngsters on the estate.
Across the road was a shed that we turned into the 'Little Hut' so we formed a committee that later became the Treneere residents and community association. We had a great deal of help from Marilyn Lobb and Maud Black, who have both since died, and local Councillors such as Geoffrey Venn and Jeremy Drew.
We had bikes and books and all sorts of activities there. It was extremely popular. As a result we won the national John Hunt Award and £500 for funds, presented in London by Countess Mountbatten of Burma. It was a great day".
She was Chairman for 13 years. In recent times Carol has been founding Chair of 'Sure Start Lescudjack' after the group's success with their funding bid.
This is having a big impact on young families in the town. She is also enjoying her first year as Chair of the PHA Tenants Committee after many years as Vice Chair, yet has been involved since the days before voluntary transfer from Penwith Council, as a member of the then Tenants Forum.
This is far from the limit of her local involvement. She is Vice-Chair (to Chair, Bernard Rees) of the Penzance Age Concern group and is on the Board of Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change.
She helped collect funds towards Leukaemia Research: a sister died of this illness. She also helped collect for the Epilepsy Society: two of her daughters suffer from this.
In what leisure time Carol has, she enjoys swimming and taking her grandchildren to the Leisure Centre at Penzance or the Wheal Rodney pool at Marazion.
"I like helping people and am really busy at the moment. It has got so bad the children have to make an appointment to see me" she joked.
"I just can't sit at home and retire".
