12 | Tees Business
Bespoke can help you rest easy at night
When former Newcastle United footballer Gareth McAlindon noticed a problem on the side of his tongue one morning, the married father-of-two wasn’ t initially concerned. But an early visit to his GP and subsequent tests resulted in him receiving the devastating news that he had cancer.
An early operation to remove the cancerous cells followed by six weeks of radiotherapy means that the 36-year-old is now in remission.
But the procedures have resulted in Gareth being unable to work for many months. As a self-employed joiner that meant his income was reduced to nil overnight.
Fortunately, just three months before spotting the first signs of his cancer, Gareth had taken out insurance via his friend and former Gateshead FC team-mate Lee Flanagan, principal of Teesside firm Bespoke Financial.
He couldn’ t have known it at the time but that decision would turn out to be one of the best Gareth has ever made.
“ Finding out you have cancer is a massive shock to the system,” he said.“ It was a
scary time. You naturally wonder about your future.
“ But the insurance I’ d taken out via Lee and Bespoke Financial meant I had one less thing to worry about, as it gave me an immediate pay-out that meant I was able to meet my mortgage payments and look after my two young children.
“ I couldn’ t work for several months but all of my main costs were covered. The situation would have been so much worse had I not taken Lee’ s financial advice and covered myself in the event of illness.”
Lee recalled:“ Discovering he had cancer naturally hit Gareth really hard and, as a friend, it was naturally a shock for me too. Fortunately, the insurance he’ d taken out through Bespoke removed many of the financial headaches he would otherwise have had to face at the same time as dealing with serious illness.
Family man Gareth took out insurance three months before a cancer diagnosis.
“ Serious illness and loss of income can have a devastating effect on individuals and families, so we provide our clients with advice that will ensure they are in a better place should they suffer from the sort of unfortunate event that we all hope never happens to us.”
For a free assessment of your personal or business finances, contact Bespoke Financial on 01642 931238 or email l. flanagan @ bespokefinancialteesside. co. uk or visit www. bespokefinancialteesside. co. uk
Open Day Saturday 24 September 9.30am-12.30pm
Teesside High School is a leading provider of independent education for girls and boys aged 3-18, situated in picturesque grounds on the banks of the River Tees in Eaglescliffe.
We are renowned for high academic standards, small class sizes, outstanding pastoral care and our friendly environment in which each child is valued and nurtured.
Come along to our Open Day on Saturday 24 September to meet our inspiring teachers, experience an adventure in our Forest School, find out more about our exceptional extra-curricular opportunities, free wrap around care and so much more...
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Prospective Year 12 students are also invited to our Sixth Form Open Evening on Monday 3 October, 6.00pm-7.00pm.
The Avenue, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees TS16 9AT www. teessidehigh. co. uk