After losing my Grandfather on the 18th April this year, I decided that I needed to do something to try and help make a difference by raising money for a great cause that possibly not many would know about.

He used to love reading and would spend hours absorbed in his favourite books, reading in bed every evening. 

When old age started to take hold, his eyesight failed him, resulting in him having to give up many things such as driving, working on the ground and reading. That affected him the most making him feel cut off from the world, both reality and the one he found between those pages. 

Calibre audio library was the best charity we could have ever hoped to find to help my grandad get back his eyes through his hearing. Having books being read to him through a machine was pure joy. This enabled him to still engage in conversation with friends and family over books, characters and authors they all knew and had read.

The charity went above and beyond to help him get the best out of his audio book experience and I know he would be proud of us helping to spread the word about this fantastic charity. Hopefully with the help of
fundraising this incredible charity will be able to continue their amazing work, helping to make a difference to other lives by opening up doors, when it must feel like they are all being slammed shut around you.

My grandad sponsored two books for the charity and my mother is going to pay to do the same with his favourite author’s most recent book when it becomes available. Despite him never getting to hear it he will love the fact that many others will be able to enjoy listening to it. 

I think one of the best bits for him was that he could put his headphones on, sit in his chair and often not even turn the book on. Just so he could get some peace from my nan, as she wouldn't nag him when she thought he was listening one of his books! 

This year he inspired me to read one book a month for a whole year, but I wanted to do more and help raise money for a charity that bought so much joy to his final years. To do this George and I have decided to walk the Cotswold Way in five days, starting in Chipping Campden on Sunday 30th May and finishing in Bath on Thursday 4th June, covering 102 miles, and maybe more if we get lost along the way! 

In loving memory of an old school gentleman, a seriously resilient man and a laugh a minute Grandad. 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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