Zoë Bunter writes:

ROSE TAYLOR, who died on 3 October, aged 62, after a short illness, spent her last years working with the Leprosy Mission England and Wales in Peterborough.

She was born in Mumbai and came to the UK in 1972. Her first job in journalism was on the Saffron Walden Reporter. From there, she went on to hold senior posts in Royston, on the Cambridge News, and the Gloucester Echo, before joining the Peterborough Evening Telegraph in 2005, where she was a very successful news editor.

After a stint at the Aberdeen Press and Journal, Rose returned to Peterborough, working as a reporter for various local newspapers, before taking a post at the University of Bedfordshire. She was a committed journalist, who was also a great supporter of local community groups and charitable causes.

Most recently, Rose’s considerable talents were put to great use at the Leprosy Mission. Her last work assignment was a trip to the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique, one of the most leprosy-affected parts of the country.

Rose spent eight days in Mozambique, meeting people affected by leprosy, and visiting projects which had been funded through the charity’s “Feet First” campaign in 2015. On her trip, Rose met some of the people who had been provided with protective sandals through Feet First.

Rose’s trip to Mozambique touched her deeply. Before she died, she said: “I am so pleased to have had the chance to see the work of the Mission for myself. It made all the work I have been doing back in Peterborough much more real. I am so pleased I had the chance to meet the people we are helping. It has been a real blessing.”