Fundraiser has close shave to raise cash in memory of her dad

Brave Debbie Simmons is on course to raise £3,000 in memory of her dad after a very close shave with the razor.
Debbie Simmons, right, with hospice nurse Linda BellerbyDebbie Simmons, right, with hospice nurse Linda Bellerby
Debbie Simmons, right, with hospice nurse Linda Bellerby

Her blonde shoulder-length locks hit the floor while she was cheered on by friends and customers of The Causeway pub in Hartlepool.

Debbie decided to wave goodbye to her hair to raise much-needed money for Hartlepool & District Hospice as a thank you for the care it gave to her dad John Boagey in his final days.

Debbie Simmons after the head shaveDebbie Simmons after the head shave
Debbie Simmons after the head shave

John, 74, died in the hospice earlier this year.

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Debbie said: “I just wanted to say thank you for all the amazing work the hospice do and the care they showed my dad.

“I had never visited the hospice before and I was quite nervous, but it is such a cheerful place; it totally changed my perception and I now fully understand the value of their work.”

Her headshave certainly captured the imaginations of her friends and family.

Debbie Simmons before her head shaveDebbie Simmons before her head shave
Debbie Simmons before her head shave

Debbie’s fundraising has already reached almost £2,500 and looks likely to increase to around £3,000 once all of the gift aid tax rebate has been claimed.

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The hospice thanked the support of Debbie and also The Causeway, at Stranton, which is a long-standing supporter of the hospice.

Greg Hildreth, a fundraiser at the hospice, said: “On behalf of everyone at the hospice I would like to say a massive thank you to Debbie and all who supported her.

“I have no doubt that this will have been an emotional time for her and her family and she has achieved something incredible as a way of honouring her dad.

The late John Boagey, 74, who died in Hartlepool & District HospiceThe late John Boagey, 74, who died in Hartlepool & District Hospice
The late John Boagey, 74, who died in Hartlepool & District Hospice

“All of the money she raised will be used to help to fund the wide range of services provided by the hospice and ensure that the support received by John and his family continues to be available to patients and families from the local communities of Hartlepool and East Durham.”

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The hospice, based in Wells Avenue, cares for hundreds of peolpe a year with illnesses including cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), Motor Neurone Disease, and heart disease.

It relies on the local community and fundraising activities for the large majority of the £2.34 million it needs.