A ‘FORMIDABLE’ West Fife woman who dedicated more than four decades to serving her community has missed out on a right royal do - again! 

Maggie Dempster, 73, is from Rosyth but is now living in Dunfermline.

She has given back to the community for nearly half a century but has missed out on celebrating her achievements yet again as she was unable to attend the Royal Garden Party on Wednesday June 29.

Her proud daughter, Claire Dempster, told the Press: “My mum was a social worker for 42 years and worked in the community for 46 years.

"She’s now in her early seventies and she got invited to the Royal Garden Party two years ago. It was cancelled for COVID and so it was rescheduled to June 29 this year but she still couldn’t make that because her partner had COVID, it’s sod’s law!

“She started off as a young mum in Rosyth that did community youth work working in a youth club before she went to Moray House and trained as a social worker whilst she was still a young mum! She’s formidable.”

While looking after her two children, Claire and her elder brother, David, Maggie also had a successful career while working as a councillor in Dunfermline and helping to set up some amazing projects for the community.

“She has been instrumental in quite a few projects that have taken off, the Women’s Training Centre in Dunfermline, she was a councillor there as well. The Equal Opportunities Committee, she was heavily involved in that and she was involved in setting up the town in twinning with Vichy (France), Wilhelmshaven (Germany) and Logroño (Spain),” Claire revealed.

“She’s been quite a character, she’s just one of those people, a cracker!”

Maggie has given so much to the area throughout her life and while she remains humble, Claire wants to recognise her mum’s outstanding achievements.

She continued: “She said she doesn’t need pomp and ceremony to know what she’s achieved but I don’t think she knows quite how many people she has impacted. When we were growing up, it was always our house that was filled with every waif and stray!

“I think she is super-impressive and I am very proud of her.”