Mental health charity Mind is calling on men to help raise awareness and funds for the work it does by shaving their facial hair off during April – or Shaveril, as the charity and marketing agency Brickwall have renamed it.
Brickwall, based in London’s Shoreditch, bastion of the modern beard revival, came up with the idea and is challenging men to shave off their beards for charity then post a before and after picture or video to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #shaveril.
They are then being encouraged to nominate a friend to either do the same or donate to Mind using a text code or online link.
Brickwall will be hosting a free pop-up barbers at The Hoxton, Shoreditch on April 14th and is inviting male Londoners to come along from 5.00pm to have their beards shaved by professional East London barbers (including Thy Barbers, based in Shoreditch’s The Bike Shed) or participate in a shaving master class.
From April 1st to 31st, Thy Barbers will donate the proceeds of all shaves carried out on bearded men who book in for a full wet beard shave quoting Shaveril to Mind.
Maria Healy, Senior Community Fundraising Officer at Mind, says: “Not only will there be men all over town sporting a brand new look, but money raised will fund our vital work including the Mind Infoline, our advice services and the campaigning Mind does to secure a better deal for the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem every year.”
Ian Noonan, King’s Teaching Fellow and Head of Department of Mental Health at Kings’ College London, has committed to shaving his beard as part of Shaveril. He says: “My beard has remained part of my identity for fifteen years. Shaving it off will make me pause and think about my identity, and how others see me. Having fun and sharing the before and after images on social media for Shaveril is a way of connecting – being part of something bigger than ourselves, which for me has always been one of the things that protects my mental health. It is also a great way to bring attention to the work of MIND and raise money to support them.”
Mind has successfully campaigned for change in the way mental health is viewed and how those who suffer are supported for 70 years. The charity provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem and campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
Anyone who wants to support Mind’s work can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/shaveril/ or text SHAV68 with the amount £5, £10 or £20 to 70070.
Brickwall is a creative production studio based in Shoreditch, which specialises in producing film, animation and digital platforms for charities and the public sector.
