Audrey Court

Under the guidance of Audrey Court, as chairman of Birmingham's Family Planning Association, Britain's first contraceptive pill trials took place in the city. Audrey, who has died aged 92, was also the senior author of Birmingham Made a Difference: 1926-1990 (2001). Her energy, involvement and foresight powered the great expansion of the work of Birmingham FPA in the 1960s.

Audrey, the daughter of missionaries, was born in India. From the age of nine she was based in Birmingham. She took a BA in social and political science from Birmingham University. In 1936, her final year, she won a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the Berlin Olympics.

Her first job was in Birmingham's youth employment department. She then became a personnel officer at Rowntrees in York. In 1940 she returned to Birmingham and married the economic historian Professor Harry Court, who had been one of her tutors, and they had three daughters. In 1949 she became a volunteer at Birmingham women's welfare centre, eventually becoming its chair. In 1968 she left to chair Birmingham's Brook advisory centre and became one of its vice-presidents. For Audrey a "cause" had become her life work. She was made an MBE in 1991.

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