In July 2016 we lost my beloved father, Bob. He was the anchor of our family and the best father anyone could want. My mum, Betty, and he married in 1967 and it was just one year off their Golden Wedding anniversary when he died. None of us expected this, even though he had been ill with cancer. We thought he was getting better and the radiotherapy he had undergone had done its work.

My dad provided everything for my mum. She gave up work when she married and hasn't worked since. My mum relied on him entirely for all financial support. When he died, he left an enormous amount of debt that we didn't know about. My mum was devastated. There was nothing left for her. Not even enough for a funeral.

Since then she has struggled financially. I want to help her enjoy life, to be able to socialise and do nice things. She doesn't have the means to do this now. She is coping with the enormity of her loss as well as a dramatic change in circumstances. She gave up so much to raise her family. We try to help her as much as we can but there are limits. She deserves to have a little boost and a break from worrying about every penny.