I didn’t know whether to publish this post on my own business blog or not but the sad news is that Virgin Giving is completely closing down at the end of November 2021.
Many people still visit my fundraising page to take a look at the videos and what happened, and so with Virgin closing their page (and my page completely disappearing into the Web Wayback Machine) I wanted to keep a permanent record online of Imogen’s BIG Shave which took place on the 30th September 2021.
This will be a record of all the fantastic fundraising that went on and what then what happened with the money we raised. It will be a permanent thank you to every single person who contributed to making a difference to my three charities:
Breast Cancer NOW
The Buddy Bag Foundation
The Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity
The Little Princesses Trust were the recipients of my own hair and they are a wonderful charity that use hair donations to make wigs for children who face hair loss for whatever reason.
I also want it to be a thank you to the team at Pink Hair Solutions who did the shave and supported me through this challenge.
I want it to create awareness about Breast Cancer and make women, and men, aware to regularly check their breasts and to follow up with their GP if something doesn’t feel or look right and don’t give up until you get some answers.
Most importantly, this fundraiser smashed its original target of £1,500 raising a whopping total (including Gift Aid) of £5,670.
Imogen’s BIG Shave: The Background
(Copy taken from My Virgin Giving Page when the fundraiser was announced)
Welcome to ‘Imogen’s BIG Shave’ which is taking place on 30th September 2021 when I will shave my hair to raise money for charity before I start my chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment.
I find myself, for the second time now, having been diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of June 2021. Since then I’ve been through an operation and now I need to go and have chemotherapy.
So I would really like to make a difference in somebody else’s life whilst I have the opportunity. And so I’m going to shave my hair off, Imogen’s BIG shave, to raise money for three different charities. And this is all in preparation for my chemotherapy, which starts at the beginning of October.
I am having my hair shaved at a fantastic wig salon called Pink Hair Solutions, near Birmingham where I have a lovely new wig ready for me, which is going to look very much like my own hair. So I’ll challenge you to know the difference when I’ve got my new hair.
Imogen’s BIG Shave will raise money and split the funds equally that we raise between the three charities that I’ve chosen.
I’ve chosen Breast Cancer Now for all their amazing research and resources and help and support people, men and women just like me.
I’m also raising money for the Buddy Bag Foundation, which as many of you know is a charity close to my heart. They support children who find themselves in emergency accommodation having fled a domestically violent situation. Unfortunately, I do have first-hand experience of being in such a situation myself and I’ve been supporting this charity in the work that I do for the last five years and I would like to continue to support them and for them to benefit from Imogen’s BIG Shave.
A final third of the funds we raised will go to the Burton and Derby Hospitals Charity, where I am having all my treatment. I can’t thank the staff, the consultants, the nurses, the doctors, the surgeons, every single person who has helped me so far on my journey, not just this time in 2021, but also back in 2015 when I had my first diagnosis.
So I would be delighted if you would give me a hand and help me out and turn something that can be a challenge into something really positive and make a difference to other people so that they can have a better life.
My hair is going to be donated to the Little Princess Trust and into the donation bank to make wigs for children who lose their hair through illness.
I’ve had a fantastic response so far when I’ve told people what I’m doing and it would make me so happy to join together and help other people as much as we can.
Thank you to everybody who takes part wishes me well makes a donation, whatever way big or small. It really will make a difference to somebody else.
Thank you so much.
Imogen
Imogen’s BIG Shave Update
(After the shave)
Imogen’s BIG Shave took place on 30th September. You can see a time-lapse video of the shave below.
I would like to thank every single person who has helped me in any way to reach this amazing target. You are ALL amazing! xx
The time-lapse video below captures the shave and wig fitting from start to finish.
Thank you to Linda and Levi at Pink Hair Solutions. If you suffer from any type of hair loss whether, through chemotherapy, alopecia, trichotillomania or male pattern baldness, I highly recommend their sympathetic and caring service. You can find out more about them on their website here.
Imogen’s BIG Shave Grand Total
My Three Charities
At the time of writing, I am in the process of distributing the money and visiting my charities to do the ‘big cheque’ presentations. Here’s where I have got to so far.
The Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity
The fundraiser share for the Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity has now been gifted to the Chemotherapy Unit at the Burton Hospital where I have had both my surgery and chemo treatment. Not just in 2021 but back in 2014 too. The funds were very welcome and will support women through their Breast Cancer journey and into the chemotherapy unit for treatment. There was not a dry eye in the house at this presentation, it made everything so worthwhile to make a difference.
The Buddy Bag Foundation
I’ve been supporting The Buddy Bag Foundation in my role as an Ambassador since 2016. Having had first-hand experience of fleeing a domestically violent situation back in 2006, being involved with the foundation gives me a way to give back in honour of all the people who helped me at my lowest and to make a difference to children in emergency care in the UK. The amount we have raised will fund 74 Buddy Bags of love for 74 children. Each bag costs £25 to fund and 100% of the money goes to supply the bags.
Breast Cancer NOW
Not a day goes by when I don’t thank my lucky stars for early breast care screening. For family reasons, I was referred to early screening at the age of 42. At my first-ever mammogram, caught early, it was discovered that I had high-grade breast cancer which required surgery and radiotherapy. 7 years later, at my final screening post-treatment for my first, my second diagnosis was given.
This time more surgery and chemotherapy. Without the funds for the research that Breast Cancer Now does, I would not be here today. And for every day I am here, I am eternally grateful for the advancement in science, research and treatments thanks to the funds raised by charities like Breast Cancer Now.
I received a personal email from Breast Cancer Now thanking me for doing the fundraiser but also to tell me how the money will be put to good use and what difference it will make:
“I also wanted to personally say thank you, on behalf of everyone at Breast Cancer Now, for raising an absolutely incredible £1919.61 for us, which will go directly towards funding world-class breast cancer research and provide life-changing care for anyone affected by this disease.
The money you’ve raised is actually enough to keep our Becca app running for a whole year. With Becca, support doesn’t just end after treatment. And by keeping the app running for a whole year, people adjusting to life after treatment will have support 24/7, with tips, information and stories from other people who’ve been affected by breast cancer.
As well as this, your fundraising is also enough to help 10 people with breast cancer get the information and support answers they need right now by calling our free Helpline. Our Helpline is expertly staffed by our breast care nurses and it’s open Monday to Friday 9am-4pm and Saturday 9am-1pm on 0808 800 6000 to support anyone affected by breast cancer.
We hope you’re proud of this incredible achievement – we certainly are”
~ Charlotte Ringer, the Community Fundraising Products Executive,
Breast Cancer Now.
Special Thanks
A special thank yous to two very special people who created their own initiatives on the back of my fundraiser to help. Let me introduce to you Jane Allsop, Creative Director at Jared Designs and William, who at the tender age of 10 showed initiative, determination and entrepreneurship with his fundraising endeavours to help his Aunty Imo.
Jane and the bra key fobs
Link to Jane’s key fobs with all profits to Cancer Research UK here
William and his endeavours
Link to William’s fundraiser, open until after Christmas here
Thank You
So, I publish this today in the hope that something here may help someone else. I also publish it as a thank you to every single person who helped this fundraiser by sharing, donating, telling friends and family.
You’re all amazing 💜
