From Monday 30th March, the local hospice charity is encouraging those who usually dye their hair and unable to get to the hairdressers during these unprecedented times, to share photos or videos of their growing roots on their social media channels whilst nominating their friends to get involved and also donate.
For those people who don’t dye their hair, they may want to get people to sponsor them to grow their hair out or even to shave it off instead. Pets such as dogs can also get involved too now dog grooming shops are closed – everyone can be a ‘Havens Hair Hero’!
Havens Hospices provides palliative nursing and supportive care to adults, young people and children living with complex or incurable conditions across Essex. The hospice is still caring for patients at the hospices and in the community at this time and it is vital they continue to raise money for the hospice so they can provide the care their patients need.
Lydia Plews, Havens Hospices’ Senior Business Development Officer initiated the campaign and the charity is a cause very close to her heart as her mother Mary was cared for at Fair Havens Hospice. Mary, 54, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in April 2010. By then it had already spread to her liver and bones and she was given 12 months to live. In June 2012 she was admitted to Fair Havens Hospice where she died on 9th July 2012.
Lydia says, “During my mum’s time at the hospice, the doctors and nurses were brilliant. In her last two weeks, the hospice arranged pull out beds for my sister and I to sleep on – nothing was too much trouble. She was absolutely clear she didn’t want to die at home so to be at the hospice being cared for by a trained palliative care team – who involved us in everything – was just amazing.”
Lydia wants as many people to get involved as possible to help raise money for the hospice during this difficult time in light of the charity having to postpone their vital fundraising events. She says, “My mum was a nurse at Southend Hospital, and I know if she was here, she would still be working. The hospice needs even more support now than ever before during these tough times and I thought this would be a fun way for people to communicate with their friends whilst stuck at home as well as raise money at the same time.”
“We have already had a nurse from Fair Havens sign up ‘baring her roots’ and a gentleman who is collecting sponsorship to shave his head – he has raised an amazing £300 already! We can’t wait to see everyone’s hair – Whether you bare your roots, grow your hair or shave your head you will be a ‘Havens Hair Hero!’”
How to get involved!
We are asking people to nominate friends, share photos and make a suggested donation of £3 or any amount no matter how small, via our Just Giving team page: http://www.justgiving.com/team/Bareyourroots
You can join either join the Havens Hospices team on this page and encourage others to sponsor you via JustGiving or people can also donate via www.havenshospices.org.uk and click on the ‘donate’ button.
Don’t forget to tag @HavensHospices in your posts on social media with the #BareYourRoots and #HavensHairHero hashtags. Share your hair updates either at the end of the campaign or at the end of each week. The campaign will finish once the hairdressers and barbers open again.
A big thank you to Main Media Video for creating this video remotely for the campaign.
