Richard Bingham, 40, from Rye is the face of a national campaign urging men across the country to grow a beard this December and raise money for Bowel Cancer UK.
Taking part in Decembeard is really simple. All you need to do is clean shave on 30 November and let your facial fuzz grow throughout the month. Already bearded? No problem. Dye, ditch or decorate your beard and join the campaign.
Raising awareness of bowel cancer is important to Richard as he was diagnosed with the disease in May 2016.
Richard, who took part in Decembeard in 2017, says: “Decembeard is an easy yet hugely worthwhile fundraiser. It was a colleague of mine that had the idea of signing up. Others were quick to follow, and we soon had no fewer than nine of us forming a team and preparing to ditch the razor for a month.
“I already had a beard, so I shaved it off for the first time in nine years and started all over again. By the end of the month, there were some seriously shaggy beards. Between us we raised over £8,000 – both amazing and humbling in equal measure.
“I’m a committed supporter of Bowel Cancer UK. The information, support and advice provided by the charity has been utterly invaluable, especially in the early days when my wife and I were struggling to get our heads around the situation we suddenly found ourselves in. It was a steep learning curve, but they were there to help throughout.”
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in men in the UK and the nation’s second biggest cancer killer. However it shouldn’t be, as it’s treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early.
Save lives this December by growing a beard and raising funds to support vital services and lifesaving research: bowelcanceruk.org.uk/decembeard
Follow us on social media Twitter @bowelcanceruk Facebook /bowelcanceruk Instagram @bowelcanceruk or watch on YouTube.
Bowel Cancer UK is the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity, determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. It supports and funds targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.
Image Credits: Brendan Foster .
Thanks so much for publicising this – much appreciated and a great cause! Richard