THE funeral of a tireless education campaigner in Darlington takes place today.

Jennifer Boddy, whose work to improve standards of schools in the town spanned five decades, died last Monday of cancer.

Mrs Boddy, who was in her seventies, specifically asked that her exact age remained a secret.

The mother-of-five first took an active interest in education when she noticed the disparity in the amount of money spent on two of her sons at Queen Elizabeth Grammar school and her third son who was at a secondary modern school.

Nearly three times as much money was being spent on her two grammar school sons, which Mrs Boddy found extremely unfair.

Her son, Nigel Boddy, said yesterday his mother was a great believer in fairness in education.

Mrs Boddy held several governorships at schools and had a vast knowlwedge of the education system.

Mr Boddy said: "Dozens of people who she did not know turned up on her doorstep asking for help to get their child into the school of their choice.

"She helped many people gain a place for their child in these circumstances.

"On this personal level she performed a great many kindnesses to total strangers."

Although she was asked by all three political parties to stand for the council she refused to take part in party politics.

However, she was involved in several campaigns, including the fight against the merger of Darlington College and Queen Elizabeth College in the seventies and eighties.

In the 1960s, she was instrumental in introducing comprehensive education in Darlington, persuading the council that all of its schools should become co-educational.

She was a founder member of the homeless charity The 700 Club and was a board member of Crossroads the charity offering respite care for carers.

Even when she was terminally ill, Mrs Boddy gave advice to the Save Hurworth campaign, trying to prevent the merger of Hurworth School with Eastbourne Comprehensive.

In April last year, she spent 20 weeks in hospital after being knocked down by a bus.

She leaves her husband Arthur, and is survived by four of her five children.

Her son Peter, a former Darlington Football Club director, died exactly two years ago.

Mrs Boddy's funeral takes place today, at All Saints Church, Ravensdale Road, at 1pm.