SERENA Croad, leader of the victorious Conservative group in last Thursday's district council elections, has a family precedent for involvement in local politics.

Her father, Reg Farmer, also has a seat on Malvern Hills District Council, and used to be on the old Leominster District Council as well.

"I was brought up with that, so it was a perfectly natural thing to do," said Serena, who initially won her place on the council in a by-election in 2002.

"It's a way of being able to ensure that there's a future in Malvern for the younger generation," she says of her service. "In years to come, we need to know there is going to be housing, there is going to be employment, there is going to be a good quality of life.

"I don't want to see the younger generation feel the need to leave Malvern to make a life for themselves."

Brought up in the Teme Valley, she went to Worcester Girls Grammar School and Worcester Tech beforegoing into restaurant management at Sawyers in the city.

After marrying husband Mark in 1993, they moved to Ilford, East London, for a few years while he pursued his career as a teacher, before coming back to Malvern.

He is now an assistant head at John Kyrle High School, Ross-on-Wye. They have three children, Grace, aged nine, Imogen, seven, and Dominic. two.

As well as the council, Serena is active in local church and school organisations.

Just as she followed in her father's footsteps, could Serena's own children one day be making their mark in politics?

"I'm fairly sure they will," she said. "My daughter Grace was very active in her school about the threat to the outdoor centre in West Malvern, and she keeps a book under her bed of what she'd like to do when she's Prime Minister."