A SHOCKED community has paid glowing tribute to 'one of its own'.

Charity stalwart June Martin, a mother of seven, died while crossing a busy main road.

This week, friends and fellow villagers in Denholme – where the 62-year-old had lived for two decades – were still struggling to come to terms with her death.

June set-up the Mpika Village of Hope charity, formerly the Mpika Relief Fund, 15 years ago to support orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia.

Since then, thousands of pounds have been raised and countless young lives transformed.

Anne Sherriff, leader of Denholme Town Council, described June as "one of Denholme’s most loved and respected villagers".

She added: "The town council, along with the rest of our community, was saddened and shocked to learn of her tragic death.

"June was well known and admired for her tireless work to change the lives of children in northern Zambia.

"Her generosity reached across oceans and made the world a smaller place. It will be a lesser place for her passing.

"June will be remembered both here in her home village of Denholme and in Mpika, the Village of Hope which meant so much to her.

"Her legacy will be rooted in the continued work of the charity which was her passion, and in the futures of the children whose lives she touched from over seven thousand miles away."

The town council is donating £50 to the charity in her memory.

Brian Newham, a trustee of the Mpika Village of Hope, said news of June's death had come as a "terrible shock".

"She was my best friend," said Brian, who lives in Denholme and had known June for about 18 years.

"I'm still struggling now to believe that she's gone.

"She was a wonderful person and we shared a lot of good times.

"It was through June that I became involved in Mpika."

Brian, a computer programmer, organises an annual fundraising walk for the charity and runs marathons in aid of the cause.

The charity has shops in Denholme and Queensbury, and used to have one at Lawkholme Lane, Keighley.

June died after a collision with a grey Vauxhall Astra as she tried to cross the A650 Wakefield Road in Bradford, near the junction with Hall Lane, at about 5.50pm on Thursday, November 14.

The driver of the car, a man in his 30s, has been spoken to by police.

Officers are appealing for information about the crash.

The Major Collision Enquiry Team is asking witnesses, or anyone with dash-cam footage which may assist, to call 101 or use the reporting options on the West Yorkshire Police website. The log reference is 1406 of 14 November.