With her colleagues and the residents of the care home where she works cheering her on, a Croydon woman agreed to an old-fashioned “tuppenny all off”, her drastic hair cut helping to raise £770 for Macmillan Cancer Support
Clipped: Sharon Gant’s partner John starts the fund-raising hair cut
Sharon Gant has worked at Bupa’s Red Court nursing home in Park Hill for more than two years. She agreed to have her hair shaved off as part of Macmillan Cancer Support’s “Brave the Shave” initiative which has seen brave shavers raise more than £22.7million since 2015.
Gant took part in the fundraiser in memory of her best friend who died from cancer 17 years ago. One of her close friends has also recently been diagnosed with cancer.
Through her sponsorship efforts, Gant has raised £385, which was matched by her employers at Bupa, bringing the total donation to £770.
“This is a cause extremely close to my heart,” Gant said.
“I’ve wanted to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support for a while now, but due to my own health issues, I haven’t been able to take part in events that involve physical challenges.
Brave the shave: Sharon Gant, right, has become a bit of a hero at the Croydon care home where she works
“But having seen what another close friend has had to battle with recently, I felt well and able to pluck up the courage and this time brave the shave! My friend’s face lit up when I told her, and so I knew I was doing the right thing.
“It is incredibly important, not only to donate to these causes but also help springboard further awareness to help educate more people on the disease and how we can better support those living with it.”
Bryony John, the manager at Red Court Bupa Care Home, said: “The whole team at Red Court are extremely proud of Sharon for showing such bravery and selflessness in raising money for such a worthy cause. It’s fantastic that Bupa has kindly matched her fundraising efforts to make the donation even better.”
- To discover more about Brave the Shave and other Macmillan fund-raisers and the support that the charity offers, click here
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