A STALWART contributor to the Barry & District News is celebrating more than 30 years of seeing her words in print as she approaches 81.

June Pooley has been voluntarily writing her Weekly Reflections column for the paper for more than 33 years with the intention of sharing her love of God with readers.

Junnie, as she likes to be known, moved to Barry from Cardiff in 1976 with her husband of 46 years and two children.

The grandmother-of-two was a Christian lay preacher for many years and has contributed many hours to the community.

She helped with the foundation of Gibbonsdown Community centre, actively contributed to the Gideons organisation and helped raise funds for the Royal National Lifeboat institution.

Son and artist Glyn Pooley said: “Each week she has committed to writing an article on a different subject. Although she writes from a Christian perspective she hopes to connect with all the diverse readers of the paper. Sometimes I ask her why she does not include other faiths in the piece, but she just prefers to write about what she knows. When I and my sister were young there were pieces of paper all over the living room.

“Junnie was always composing and writing, something. She said that since she was a little girl she was moved by God. She did not know where it came from as neither of her parents were churchgoers but for her it has always been part of her life. To share the love of God and the wisdom of her tradition to others is not just to witness to her faith, although that is a large part, but she felt called to share her experiences so they might help others. When opening the local paper with all its recording of the ups and downs of day to day activities that people carry out in lives it can be refreshing to be offered an opportunity to read life from another perspective, a perspective that is not just concerned with the here and now. It offers an opportunity for a different kind of dialogue, one that operates on a grand scale. Junnie’s dedication and commitment is something special as is her kind nature, it is an offering that we can all learn something from.”

Glyn added: “On a personal level she would also try and help as many people as she could. One of my strong childhood memories was coming home from school to see the local tramp sitting in our kitchen eating a jam sandwich. If she can help someone she will.”