Bestselling author raises £10,000 for charity

Published on 31, January, 2025

A University of Sunderland graduate turned bestselling north-east author has raised more than £10,000 for charity.

Graduating from the University in 2001, Glenda Young writes family sagas set in the north-east and crime novels based in Scarborough.

Published by Headline, Glenda’s books are sold throughout the world. Her cosy crimes were shortlisted for Best New Crime Series in a national award with Richard Osman and Val McDermid.

Glenda’s partnership with the Alfa Leisureplex Group has seen her books sold in all 24 of their hotels since January 2024. From each sale, £1.50 is donated to Alfa’s chosen charity, Re-engage.

The charity supports older people by reducing loneliness and creating connections through shared experiences. Her collaboration with Alfa has introduced her books to a wider audience, with more than 7,000 copies sold so far.

To date, this initiative has raised over £10,000.

Glenda, who studied Journalism at the University, said: “I’m very proud to know that my books are being enjoyed by Alfa’s customers all over the country. The feedback from readers has been fantastic. People come back from their holidays with a new book in hand and tell me they couldn’t put it down – all while supporting such a wonderful cause.”

Emma Russell of Alfa Leisureplex Group said: “It has been an honour to support Re-engage this year in their mission to end loneliness and we are delighted that we have been able to raise £100,000 in the last 12 months particularly when it has been for such a worthy cause. 

"It has also been a pleasure to work with Glenda, her books are a fantastic read and our guests have been so impressed they have been coming back for more and more. My personal favourite is the Murder at the Seaview series, which I highly recommend.”

Jenny Willott, CEO of Re-engage, said: “We are truly grateful to Glenda and all the incredible staff at Alfa Leisureplex Group who have performed wonders to raise such an astonishing amount of money to help our older people. It’s great that people are getting a good read while making sure we can continue to run social groups and call befriending services for those who are lonely or isolated. Alfa has been inspirational in its efforts to support Re-engage and we hope the partnership will continue to flourish.”

Alumna Glenda is committed to several charitable causes. Due to the success of her books, she sponsored a creative writing student at the University of Sunderland.

In 2023, the University awarded the Glenda Young Prize for Creative Writing, which included a scholarship of £2,000 and expert guidance from Glenda on how to break into the publishing industry.

 The University of Sunderland offers scholarships throughout the year for current students. To find out more, click here. 

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