Money expert in £1,200 donation to Stourbridge hospice
A financial expert who wrote a guide to help widows organise their finances has donated all the profits from its first two months on sale to a hospice.
Anita Gatehouse, author of A Widow's Guide, called into Mary Stevens Hospice to hand over £1,218 which will help towards the running costs of the centre in Hagley Road, Stourbridge.
Mrs Gatehouse, who runs Cre8 Financial & Business Planners in Kidderminster, launched the book in September, after noticing a gap in the market.
She said she had advised many widows during her 25 years running the business, and they often found it hard to cut through the vast array of information available.
"My book aims to help them understand that what they are feeling, especially around money, is pretty normal and they are not the only ones to feel overwhelmed by anxiety about the future," she said.
During the writing of her book she attended a luncheon at Mary Stevens Hospice, and it was there that she heard a speech by the widow of a former patient at the centre. She was so moved that she decided to donate the proceeds of her book launch night to the hospice. The hospice has to raise the money for 82 per cent of its running costs, with the remaining 18 per cent coming from the Government.
Hospice fundraiser Vanessa Wale and charity shop volunteer Marlene Watson spoke at the launch night. "Anita has continued to sell her book at various outlets and decided to carry on adding to her initial donation," said Vanessa.
