Joe Gingell donates over £19,000 to Clubhouse from book sales

Local author Joe Gingell has donated £19,612 to mental health charity Clubhouse Gibraltar from funds raised via the sales of his latest book The War Came Home.

The book is based on the Second World War and the evacuation of Gibraltar, and is his third fundraising book.

The War Came Home was launched in July last year and Mr Gingell sold copies across Gibraltar in the hope to raise around £20,000 through the sale of this book.

Just eight months later, Mr Gingell has been successful in his charity pledge, with his previous two books raising a combined £50,000 for charity.

This means that, over three books, he has raised around £70,000 in total in a project inspired by his late daughter Michelle while she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Mr Gingell has researched the evacuation for years and this third book includes information and features families who were evacuated to London, Madeira and Jamaica.

The project for this most recent book began a year ago when Mr Gingell decided to fundraise for Clubhouse.

“The project was initiated with an appeal for sponsors to assist with the cost of publishing the book,” he said.

He added that the publication of the book was also possible thanks to Manolo Galliano for his proofreading, and to the Office of Fair Trading for granting permission to sell the books to raise funds for Clubhouse.

“We also wish to thank the Minister for Culture, Chistian Santos, for writing the foreword to the book and for agreeing to launch the book,” Mr Gingell said, “the Library Café at the John Mackintosh Hall for providing the refreshments for the launching ceremony” and Gibraltar Cultural Services management and staff for arranging the room to launch the book.

“The sale of the books was initiated at the launching ceremony thanks to the magnificent gesture by Wright Tech Media with the purchase of 50 books for distribution at the day centres, elderly care homes, Hill Side, Bruce’s Farm and for sale at the World War Two Tunnels to raise funds,” he said.

“All the books were sold within five months since their launching.”

“This was also possible thanks to the assistance afforded with the sales of the books at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, The Convent Christmas Fair, the Gibraltar Heritage Trust, Morrisons Supermarket, the Time Out Coffee Shop and the Little Rock Restaurant.”

“Thanks also, to Amanda Reyes, at the Office of the Chief Secretary, who very kindly and ably coordinated the issuing of the Collectors Certificates of Authority to sell books at Morrisons, the Piazza and Convent Place.”

Mr Gingell also thanked to the book’s sponsors, in alphabetical order; Alfred Swantex Sales Ltd, Aquagib Ltd, Atlas Construction Ltd, Attias and Levy Law Firm, Clinton D M Chartered Accountant, D&H Ceramics Ltd, Ellul Law Firm, Form-A-Co (Gibraltar) Ltd, Gibfirst Managements Ltd, Gibraltar International Bank, Hassans International Law Firm Ltd, Ibex Insurance Services Ltd, Interbuild, MH Blands & Co Ltd, Pascoe Holdings Ltd, Prime Auto Ltd, Richardson & Co (Estate Agents) Ltd, RJ Refrigeration Ltd, Sacarello Coffee Shop, Sheppard M & Co.Ltd, Solomon Levy Estate Agents, The Beacon Press Ltd, Trafalgar Pharmacy, Wright Tech Media and a personal donation from Wilfred Stagnetto.”