Stockport veteran marks 100th birthday with Gaza fundraiser

Terry Holt has asked for donations instead of presents

A World War Two veteran who turns 100 on Christmas Eve is celebrating the milestone by raising money for children affected by the conflict in Gaza.

Terry Holt from Stockport said she saw first-hand the fate of children living through war when she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

She was based in the Middle East between 1941 and 1948, working in Cairo, Egypt and the Suez Canal.

Ms Holt said seeing suffering caused by war "filled her with sadness".

The recent Israel-Hamas war has motivated Ms Holt to raise money for Save the Children's Gaza Emergency Appeal, and she is asking for donations for her centenary instead of presents.

She will host a mulled wine and mince pie coffee morning at her home on Friday in the hope of reaching her fundraising target of £1,500.

'Grateful for life'

She said seventy years after being stationed in the Middle East she can "see schools, hospitals and mosques being destroyed [on the news] and it fills me with sadness".

"It is easy to feel helpless in the face of such suffering, but we need to try to remain hopeful and do our bit," she said.

"As I celebrate my 100th birthday, I feel so grateful for the life I have had, and I wanted to do something to raise much-needed funds to help children who so urgently need support."

She said she felt it was her duty as a mother and grandmother to "fight for the rights of children".

Ms Holt has been volunteering with Save the Children for 73 years, making her the charity's oldest known living supporter.

During Covid, she raised more than £2,000 by walking half a mile a day, despite relying on a walking frame.

She is also the founder of the charity's Cheadle and Gatley branch, which was set up in 1959 and has raised more than £132,000 since records began in 1986.

Gwen Hines, chief executive of Save the Children UK, said: "We are incredibly grateful to Terry for her kindness in choosing to spend her 100th birthday fundraising for Save the Children's Gaza Emergency Appeal."