MOTHER of three Libby Harrison has been appointed a non-executive director of the Kent Messengerr Group in place of her mother, the late Mary Webb.

Mrs Harrison, from Bilsington Priory, near Ashford, becomes the second Boorman family member to sit on the board chaired by her cousin, Geraldine Allinson, who recently took the helm from her father, Edwin Boorman.

Mrs Harrison, 35, was educated at Mersham primary and Ashford Girls’ schools.

From an early age she became involved in country pursuits, including time as secretary of Ashford Young Farmers' Club, with a particular fondness for riding and hunting with the East Kent Hunt.

It was her late grandfather, H R Pratt Boorman, who sparked her passion for newspapers, resulting in school work experience spells in the KM Group's production department.

On leaving school in 1989, she joined the company working first in telesales in Canterbury before moving to the Kentish Express in Ashford in advertising sales.

She was promoted to the field sales team in Folkestone and then to head office at Larkfield and finally as field sales manager in Tunbridge Wells until she left in 1998 to have her first child.

On her 18th birthday her grandfather presented her with family shares in the company and her late mother had made it clear she wanted her to take her place on the board.

For some time Mrs Harrison has been a trustee of the H R Pratt Boorman Family Foundation that helps good and needy causes in the county along with her uncle, Edwin, and his daughters Geraldine and Eleanor.

Since the death of her parents, David and Mary Webb, Mrs Harrison and her brother Jon, 29, have jointly run the 1,000-acre Bilsington Priory estate.

She said: “Joining the company board, I hope I will bring a common sense approach and represent grass roots views and countryside issues at meetings, just as my mother did.”

Despite additional responsibility of attempting to combine family and business she has pledged to continue the community and charity commitments launched by her mother.

“With my brother we are determined to raise the £50,000 that mother promised for a William Harvey hospital scanner for patients,” she stressed.

“This will be done by holding events at The Priory, like the annual craft fayres and holding a charity ball, but I also intend to continue to support the many other local community events, just as the Priory always has.”