For the entirety of December, Beating Bowel Cancer are asking all men to take part in ‘Decembeard’.
Men will ditch their razors and get sponsored for growing a beard, decorating their beard, dyeing their beard or even baking/knitting a beard to raise funds to help beat bowel cancer.
Beating Bowel Cancer is a supporting and campaigning charity for everyone affected by bowel cancer. They provide practical and emotional help – on the phone, digitally and face to face.
They run the UK’s only nurse-led specialist helpline for bowel cancer, which patients call a ‘lifeline’. They bring patients together to share experience and support, through their website, social media and events.
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Their campaigns have led to the introduction of the bowel cancer screening programme, as well as new funding and greater patient access to life-changing cancer treatments.
For this current campaign, the aim is to get 5,000 men to raise a minimum of £100 each in order to reach their total of £500,000.
The charity relies entirely on voluntary donations and, by raising funds through Decembeard, men can help fund a range of vital services that give people with bowel cancer help, hope and reassurance.
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Scott Smith, 36, is raising money for the campaign because he knows only too well the impact bowel cancer can have on your life.
Scott is a survivor of bowel cancer. Having undergone surgery for an ileostomy bag after being diagnosed with bowel cancer at 28, he was asked to become an ambassador for the charity earlier this year.
Speaking with Metro.co.uk, he said: ‘I didn’t meet the charity till a number of years after my operation. I wish I had. I met them at one of the lower points of my journey.
‘The support and ‘family feel’ of the charity has made me a proud ambassador for Decembeard.’
Scott, who shaved his already bearded face to re-grow it out throughout December, is documenting his bearded journey.
He says: ‘I’m using every opportunity I can to spread awareness – because early diagnosis does save lives.’
Scott has been working with Decembeard’s proud sponsor Just For Men, and has since created the hashtag #mantime. A hashtag in which allows all people joining the campaign to connect with one another and raise further awareness.
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Hoping to show others that there is life after cancer, he says: ‘I hope this will allow people to realise that cancer is not the end. There is a life after diagnosis, and in fact it CAN be better.’
So far, Scott describes the reaction received so far as humbling. In the past seven days, Scott has already raised almost £800.
‘I have had so many messages from people in the middle of their own journey,’ he says.
‘What it has also done is reinforce the reasons why I am so passionate about this campaign.
‘Someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer every 15 minutes, yet 90% of all cases diagnosed early are successfully treated.’
Scott is incredibly passionate about the campaign, and hopes to save lives with the awareness he will continue to raise.
‘My passion, my drive for Decembeard is that should someone be told they have this life changing disease they are – like me – another 90% statistic.
‘Around 90% of all cases of bowel cancer diagnosed early are successfully treated. I was one of those lucky enough to be diagnosed early.
‘Awareness of symptoms means early diagnosis. Early diagnosis saves lives… It saved mine.‘
