A group of six adventurous hairdressers from Otley will be taking ‘just a bit off the top’ on Scafell Pike on July 27, cutting hair on England’s highest mountain to raise money for Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds.
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/
For more information on Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, visit www.sueryder.org/
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About Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice
At Sue Ryder, we can’t make life’s most difficult moments easy, but we can carry some of the load. For more than 70 years we have been a source of strength and specialist support for anyone living with a life-limiting illness or grief.
From giving specialist care and support for someone at the end of their life to helping someone manage their grief, we know there is no one size fits all when it comes to how we cope and the help we need. We campaign for everyone who is approaching the end of their life or grieving to have access to the right support, at the right time and in a way that is right for them. We seek to break down the barriers to talking about dying and grief – so we can all be better prepared and better equipped to be there for each other.
We can make a positive difference during even the darkest of times. Whether in the last months, weeks or days of life, or living with grief, we help people live the best life they possibly can. We are there when it matters and work inclusively with our diverse community in and around Leeds.
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