Riveting read raises money for Age UK Wyvern

A Leominster woman has used her literary skills to raise over £100 for local charity Age UK Wyvern. Sheila Carr has dedicated all profits from her first novel, April and her Adventures, to the organisation, for which she also volunteers.

Sheila has enjoyed writing all her life, and always wanted to write a book. However, writing is a difficult process for her as she lives with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which impacts her ability to move. “I have to double tap every letter on my tablet in order to type,” she explained. “It’s a long process and it’s frustrating as sometimes I can’t get down my thoughts quickly enough”.

She began April and her Adventures, a novel about a little girl who relies on her dog to give her the confidence she needs, many years ago, but was unable to complete it. However, when she returned to it after a long interval, she found it much easier to write, describing the process of creating the novel as “riveting”. She commented, “I was so happy to finish it, and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I’ve really done it’”.

Malcolm Craig from Age UK Wyvern had this to say about Sheila’s achievement, “We can’t thank Sheila enough. Not only has she raised much-needed funds through her book, but she also volunteers for our befriending scheme, ringing an older person on a weekly basis for a friendly chat. Our organisation couldn’t run without the invaluable support of people like Sheila.” Over 200 people every week receive calls or visits from volunteers from Age UK Wyvern's befriending scheme. However, demand for the service is extremely high and volunteers are essential to keep it going. You can find out more about volunteering for Age UK Wyvern here.

Meanwhile, Sheila is hard at work on a second book. This novel, called Are You There?, centres around a disabled teenage girl and deals with the stigma faced by many people living with disabilities. “There’s often an assumption that disabled people can’t cope with things and I wanted to write about that,” said Sheila. She describes herself as “a romantic at heart” and hopes to include a romantic element in the novel as well.

Readers are encouraged to contact Age UK Wyvern for more information on how you can support Sheila and the charity, and how you can get yourself involved.