Friends and colleagues of Bristol community activist and author Kate Pollard will be celebrating her life at a memorial party in Hotwells on Saturday.

Kate, from Totterdown, died in January, aged 67, while visiting her family in Australia after a 20-year battle with cancer.

She was well known throughout Bristol for her work with community groups, local history societies, arts projects and more.

Kate's Bash – Celebrating the life of Kate Pollard is from 7pm to 11pm at Hope Chapel, in Granby Hill.

Entertainment includes puppetry from Green Ginger, DJs, live music from Furlined and Los Bambinos and more, with everyone asked to bring food and drink to share.

Friends describe Kate as a caring and passionate campaigner for the area, where she lived in Hill Street.

An art teacher, local historian and amateur archaeologist, Kate published a book about a dark chapter in her neighbourhood's history, Totterdown Rising: A Story of Endurance and Survival.

The book covers the story from the Sixties and early Seventies when, to make way for a highway, Bristol City Council demolished 550 houses, as well as pubs, shops and businesses, and evicted 2,000 people from their homes. The road was never built.

Her extensive research revealed the council never voted on the plans, and went ahead with the destruction before it had Government backing.

Among the groups she worked with were Shirehampton Community Centre, the Southville Centre and the Bristol-based puppeteering group Puppet People.

Her mother Jess Foster started the Pendragon Society, a group for enthusiasts of the legend of King Arthur, and Kate took it over when she died. She was also an amateur archaeologist.

Kate was separated, and had two children and two grandchildren. Her daughter Zoe lives in Australia and her son Rob lives in New Zealand.

Marie Walker knew Kate for more than 30 years and paid tribute to her friend.

She said: "Kate had such a big personality, she was very strong, a fighter. Even when she was in agony you never knew she was ill. Kate was always very caring and was popular with people across the age range.

"She was just a tremendous person."

Everyone who knew Kate is welcome. For more information contact Marie on 0797 041 2701 or Mia 0779 131 9614.