Alison's poems help find happiness after grieving
Alison Birkett and her new husband Nigel have recently joined the Chard committee for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Both Alison and Nigel had previously lost their partners to cancer and afterwards turned to poetry to help, which in turn led them to each other.
Alison based originally in Devon, first started writing poems after her husband Chris passed away in 1995. The family were helped by Macmillan and after friends suggested she should get them published, Alison spent her own money to enable this to happen with all proceeds going to the charity. Now, Alison has now completed five books and raised over £10,000 which is a staggering amount!
Nigel also lost his wife to cancer in 1996 but found comfort through the grief after reading some of Alison's poems. This encouraged him to start writing a few poems of his own and met Alison after asking her to read through his work. The couple then fell in love and married, with Alison relocating to Chard which is where Nigel lived.
Both found the poems therapeutic and Alison's books have now been able to help people all over the UK and abroad with their personal grief. All books - such as Moving On, Two Steps Forward and One Step Back, Memories along with Nigel's Coming Through are available, with a suggested donation of £2 each. If anyone is interested, please contact the Somerset Fundraising Office on 01823 327503 or callen@macmillan.org.uk.