A Hexham woman is turning heads with her new look after she had her head shaved to raise vital funds for Tynedale Hospice at Home.
Sarah Richardson, 29, has raised £700 to support the Hospice in the sponsored head shave which took place on 1 February. As well as raising this fantastic amount she is also donating her hair to The Little Princess Trust which provides wigs for children and young people who have lost their own hair due to cancer or other illnesses.
She was inspired to fundraise for the Hospice after she received bereavement support from the Hospice’s Family Support Service following the birth of her identical twin boys who were stillborn in May 2012. The twins were conjoined and sharing organs.
Following the death of the twins, Sarah describes the feeling of loss as worse than either she or her husband Matthew could have ever imagined.
She said: “I struggled on trying to manage my feelings for quite a long time until a friend told me about the Family Support Service and the services it offers. I began to receive one to one support from Val Jewitt from the Tynedale Hospice at Home who really helped me come to terms with what had happened.
“Just having someone to talk to was so important in learning to how to manage our grief. Without Val and the support of the Hospice, I would have really struggled to move on. It was very important that I sought help, not just for me but for my whole family.”
Sarah and Matthew are now also parents to Katie, 4, and Thomas, 7 months.
Sarah continued: “I can’t thank the Family Support Service enough for the support that they provided. They provided a safe and confidential space where I could talk on a one-on-one basis, and share all my feelings and my sense of loss for as long as I needed to talk. It’s such a wonderful service and we will never forget the support we received.”
No stranger to daring fundraising challenges, Sarah and Matthew abseiled from Middlesbrough’s Transporter Bridge in 2016, raising over £1,500 for the Hospice.
Sarah continued: “Whilst this fundraiser is a little less ‘dare devil’ than the abseil, braving a cold winter’s day minus my hair will come with its own challenges! It feels a bit chilly at the moment but I’ve invested in a couple of hats that I hope will keep my head warm until my hair starts to grow back.”
Susan Wray owner of local hairdressing company The Barber Bus was on hand to ensure that Sarah received the closest of shaves. Susan said: “When I heard that the Hospice was looking for a hairdresser to help out, I jumped at the chance to be involved. Tynedale Hospice at Home is such an important local charity, offering vital support to many families in our community.”
Val Jewitt, Family Support Practitioner at Tynedale Hospice at Home, said: “We are so grateful to Sarah for her fundraising efforts.
“On average, we provide support to around 38 families a month who are either facing bereavement or who have been bereaved. Our services are completely free of charge and people can refer themselves to our service, no matter how long it’s been since the death of a loved one.
“It costs around £800,000 to run our services each year and 90% of this is raised through donation, voluntary giving and the generosity of people who fundraise for us. Any amount raised through this fundraising activity will make a real difference to the lives of people who need our services.”
To find out more about Tynedale Hospice at Home’s Family Support Service, please call 01434 604 321.
To support Sarah’s fundraising efforts you can sponsor her at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/shavesarah