Silchester man shaves off 38-year-old beard (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Silchester man shaves off 38-year-old beard

2:30pm Saturday 18th August 2012 in News By Gazette reporter

A BEARD that had been growing for 38 years was cut off for a good cause.

Dave Barrett, a semi-retired construction company director agreed to have his precious facial hair removed to raise money for Nyumbani, a children's charity in Nairobi that cares for HIV positive orphans.

As a member of the Reading Rotary club, Mr Barrett, of Ash Lane, Silchester, has been travelling to Africa and working on construction projects for the charity for two weeks a year for the last six years.

Mr Barrett has to raise money in order to buy the construction materials and this year decided that cutting off his beard was the best way to do so.

The 56-year-old thought it was worth the sacrifice. He said: “It felt very strange having had the beard for most of my life, but it was cut off for a good cause.”

After taking 38 years to grow, the beard removal only took around three minutes.

But Mr Barrett added: “I feel bare without it. I will leave it for around four weeks and then grow it back.”

The ceremonial removal took place on Sunday, in The Plough public house in Little London.

Founded in 1992, Nyumbani is home to approximately 100 children ranging from newborns to 23 years of age. The youngsters are given the best care available including anti-retroviral therapy and live at Nyumbani until they become self-reliant.

So far, Mr Barrett has raised more than £1,600. If you wish to donate, you can do so by visiting davesbeard.co.uk.