Not for Profit

It's hair today, gone tomorrow for Paul as his close shave raises £1,500-plus for young carers

Intergage MD Paul Tansey before, and after, his head shave in aid of MYTIME Young Carers.

By Staff Reporter [email protected]

Published: March 19, 2021 | Updated: 20th March 2021

They said be brave, be bold and be ridiculous to mark National Young Carers Action Day and, boy, you didn’t disappoint.

Fundraising – and fun – went to the heads of many around Dorset as wacky hairstyles became the order of the day.

The winner, by more than a hair’s breadth, was MYTIME Young Carers, to the tune of thousands of pounds.

The description ‘brave’ most certainly went to Paul Tansey, MD of Poole-based Intergage, and a Trustee of the charity.

He volunteered to have his head shaved, raising more than £1,500 towards his hoped-for target of £2,000.

His wife, Tanith, used clippers and then a razor blade with Paul admitting to waking on the day of the shave with a “a sense of trepidation”.

He added: “Surprisingly, it feels great but I’m avoiding mirrors.

“Opinion is divided in my family: ‘It doesn’t look terrible…’ being the feedback I’m clinging on to.

“My four-year-old grandson, Jason, laughed at me – and with me – for several minutes and delighted in calling me ‘Grandegg’.

“The laughter of a child being an appropriate reward for a gesture aimed at raising the profile of young carers – some as young as five years old – who are the unsung heroes in our society.

“These guys are very cool and I’m delighted to say that the generosity of my friends and business colleagues means that we’ve already raised over £1,500.

“I’m now hoping the total will exceed £2,000 by the time we’ve finished.

“I’d like to thank all those people who supported me and this brilliant charity to do what we can for these wonderful young people.”

Elswhere organisers were bowled over at the efforts people went to on March 16.

Lakeisha Douch, Barrie Haynes and Victoria Allen.

From pink wigs to Mohican hairstyles – and that was just the men!

The MYTIME Hair2Care campaign was aimed at raising awareness, and money, for the Dorset-based charity.

Supporters were encouraged to do something weird and wonderful with their hair, post a photo on social media using the hashtag #HAIR2CARE, and also text HAIR2CARE to 70460 to donate £5.

Karen Cartlidge, Tom Burn and Penny Day.

Krista Sharp, CEO, said: “I have been utterly overwhelmed by how many businesses, schools and individuals have got involved to make the first ever Young Carers Action Day one to remember.

“Hair2Care has been a huge success and it’s been incredible to see young carer organisations across the UK get involved.

“Thank you to everyone who has done something wild and wonderful with their hair, to show young carers they care.”

Maria Tidy, James Isaac and Ramona Bachell.

Krista added that. so far, an estimated £5,000-plus had been raised.

Individuals and business are also taking part in its MYTIME2CARE campaign this month.

They’ve received a calendar of good deeds, one for each day of the month, and have been challenged to carry these out within their own communities.

Krista, pictured right, said: “There are an estimated 700,000 young carers living here in the UK.

“These remarkable young people work hard to take care of their families, day in and day out, sometimes at great personal cost.

“But young carers are not often recognised for the contribution they make to our community.

“National Young Carers Action Day represents the perfect opportunity for us all to stop and reflect on the role that young carers play within our society, and to show our appreciation for everything they do.”

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