A former Saron woman has left £2.6 million pounds to the church.

Hazel Jones-Olszewski, who died in January 2013, aged 84, bequeathed the money to the Church in Wales for the benefit of the parishioners of the St David’s diocese.

One of eight children, hazel was the daughter of Jim and Mag Hughes of 3 Blaenau Lodge in Pantyblodau Road.

She attended Blaenau Primary School then Llandeilo County School - later Llandeilo Grammar School – and was a regular worshiper at St David’s Church, Saron.

After leaving school, she worked for the James Bus Company in Ammanford.

Hazel married cleric Henry Vernon Jones, and the couple eventually settled in London, where son Stansfield, was born.

Following Henry’s death, Hazel met and married Mieczyslaw Olszewski, a retired Polish Army Officer.

After the death of Mieczyslaw in 1991, Hazel lived with Stansfield in their Chelsea home.

However, Stansfield died suddenly soon after.

Hazel died in 2013, just four days short of her 85th birthday.

She was buried in Gunnersbury Cemetery, London.

Hazel’s unique legacy was bequeathed with two conditions.

Firstly that the money should be used to create some form of lasting memorial.

Secondly that the cash be used for the benefit of the diocese as a whole.

A spokesman for the Church in Wales described Hazel as, “an ordinary Welsh woman who did an extraordinary deed in wanting people in the diocese of St David’s to benefit after her death.”

In gratitude for Hazel’s generosity, a plaque commemorating her bequest is to be placed at St David's Church, Saron.

Around £300,000 of Hazel Jones-Olszewski £2.6million legacy has yet to be allocated by the Church in Wales.

The Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) has now invited parishes, organisations and individuals to submit suggestions as to how the money should be used.

The committee will consider all suggestions which are deemed to invigorate the life of the diocese as a whole.

The DBF has already allocated £1.5 million of the bequest to the parish finance reserves, from which both capital and interest accumulation will be paid back to parishes through a 6.4 percent reduction in their ministry share - worth an estimated £210,000 in 2015.

The legacy will also enable the diocese to invest nearly £1 million in its ministry to children and young people over the next three years.

A further £150,000 is to be invested next year in training for both clergy and lay ministers as part of the diocesan strategy Growing Hope.

In addition, £100,000 has been set aside to make improvements to the diocesan Housing Association's portfolio of accommodation for retired clergy, clergy widows and lay workers.