Don first started raising funds when he trekked the 230km Larapinta Trail in Central Australia in 2016. In 2020, while walking through Chesham with his wife Greta, who herself, had regularly organised charitable donations for the Hospice, they noticed the newly opened Chapter Two bookshop. His decision to offer his support started an ongoing five-year involvement with the community bookshop and, in turn, the Hospice.
After a career in accounting, Don retired and sought meaningful ways to contribute. At Chapter Two, he found a role that combined his love of reading with his desire to make a difference. “At heart, I’m a book enthusiast,” Don explains. “I have had a lifelong interest in books and I like to see what price we can get for the books.” Over the last five years, Don has listed some 11,500 books, helping raise thousands of pounds for community care at the Hospice.
Don also uses his knowledge as a philatelist to sort and sell donated stamp collections of local residents. His most recent initiative involved a considerable amount of his time sorting stamps and contacting various dealers, eventually raising over £1,000. His varied endeavours highlight how personal skills, knowledge and passion can be transformed into meaningful charitable impact.
Don values fostering a sense of community, purpose, and camaraderie, “All the people in the shop are so enthusiastic. They really do think of Chapter Two as ‘their bookshop’.” His manager Mark succinctly sums up Don as “a first-rate ambassador for the Hospice, both through the example he sets and the warmth and respect with which he treats others.”
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