Salon colleagues take on hair raising adventure for local hospice

Marcia Wilson, 55, a hairdresser at Otley-based Courthouse Hair Lounge, was inspired to fundraise for the charity after both her mum and dad were cared for by Sue Ryder at the end of their lives. She shared: “My mum had been in hospital for a while and she was so happy to get to the hospice, when she arrived, I could see her finally relax. The whole team were amazing; with my dad there was on staff member who had such a great way of speaking to him that helped him feel at ease.”

After deciding to give back to the palliative care and bereavement support charity, Marcia knew that she wanted the challenge to be a cut above the everyday, she explained: “I wanted to try something a bit different. We’re an outdoorsy bunch at the salon and were already thinking about climbing Scafell Pike, then I thought, ‘why not cut hair at the top?’ The rest of the team were totally up for it.

"Naomi Hemingway, the owner of Courthouse Hair Lounge, had her grandad receive care from the teams at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice earlier this year, and many of our clients, or their loved ones, have also been supported by the charity."

Setting up a sky-high salon is no mean feat. Marcia and her colleagues will have the help of their husbands and partners on the day, helping them to carry gowns, clippers and even hairdressing stools up the 978m high peak.

As Marcia prepares to style it out up the mountain, she reflects on a poignant memory with a client, who wanted their hair cut whilst being cared for at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice: “She had grey hair with a splash of purple and wanted her colour refreshed. I checked with the staff, and they said it was fine, so we did it, and turned the sink purple! All the nurses came in afterwards to admire her hair. It brought a bit of joy and laughter to a tough situation.”

Marcia has been blown away by the ‘shear’ amount of support the challenge has already received. As well as raising funds for Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, the team will also be supporting local charity Sarah Jackson’s Community Wish, she said: “I want to thank all of our clients for donating, cheering us on and giving us walking tips.” She concluded: “I’d also like to share a special thank you to the teams at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice for everything they do. They are the reason we’re climbing, cutting, and fundraising.”

To support Marcia and her colleagues visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/courthousehairlounge

To find out more about how you or your company can get involved with fundraising at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, contact [email protected]