All for a GOOD CAUSE

One woman shares her story and dedication to helping others

- SERENA SHORES, ANN CUSACK

Although she personally raised £500,000 to help build the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, Brenda Astin's most touching legacy is to the 600 families of children and babies with life-shortening illnesses it supports today, including those whose little ones have passed away. From sitting on a plastic garden chair in a tiny office, which was the home and hub of her determined band of fundraisers, to battling planning objections, Brenda has never lost her passion and love for her cause. Even today, after retiring as a director, she can still be found, bucket in hand on Christmas Eve, not taking no for an answer!

'My fundraising spirit came from what I admit were humble beginnings, where I grew up in a one-up-one-down in a small village near Halifax,' says Brenda, 77. 'My mum was one of eight and we all looked after one another – I think it was bred into me from an early age. I'm also an organiser by nature and can see when there is a need to help others. I was soon a teacher at my Methodist Sunday school and it just came instinctively to me to organise tea and a concert for the elderly residents of my area, even though I was only 15.'