TRIBUTES have been paid to former director of Redditch United and businesswoman Jacintha McIvor, who has passed away at the age of 62.

Ms McIvor joined the club in 2017 and was also chair of the Redditch YMCA, while supporting charities across Redditch.

Paying tribute, her friend and former Mayor of Redditch, councillor Juliet Drummer said: “I met Jacintha when I was mayor of Redditch when we did a lot of fundraising together for my charities.

“She was a wonderful woman. She certainly knew what community meant. She was also a fantastic organiser. She was a dear personal friend.”

Jacintha helped the mayor with her chosen charities, Sandycroft, Bowel Cancer UK and the Royal British Legion, offering “wonderful support”.

She was appointed director of The Reds in November 2017 after first linking up with the club as part of her work with the YMCA.

The mother-of-three was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in the Republic, before moving to England. She settled in Astwood Bank and raised her three sons Morgan, Lawrence and Miheal. Alongside running her own IT company, she also served as a trustee for the YMCA.

She was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace in 2019 in recognition of her service to the organisation.

Paying heartfelt tribute to his mother, her son Lawrence said: “We’re immensely proud of her, she was a special person.

"Charity was very important to her and she applied her abilities as a trustee of the YMCA for 20 years.

"Any success myself and my siblings have had in life and any success we have going forward is her success as a mother. I hope that our lives can be a testament to the woman she was."

Jacintha recently moved to Drogeda in Ireland, where she died on November 29.