It was razors up literally for 3 of Sainsbury’s Didcot’s employees on Saturday afternoon (April 11th) as their colleagues had no hesitations to chop off their hair for charity.
Counter assistants at the Didcot supermarket, Luke Norris, Chris Ewing and former Ben Shaw (who transferred as his role of Counters manager to their Kidlington store last month) all underwent the razors as the hands of their colleagues, Jess Clifton, Ali Bates, Veronica Dallas and Danny Twumasi.
This latest fundraiser by the store was adding to the £3,000 already raised over the last few months by the store for Play2Give, their chosen local charity of the year, which they selected last July to benefit from a year’s worth of fundraising and awareness.
The voluntary-run fundraising organisation was set up by Didcot’s Andrew Baker, a former St Birinus School Didcot pupil, with friends in 2007 and to date the fundraising group have donated over £33,150 to local charities – primarily with the Oxford Children’s Hospital benefiting and over £26,700 donated to the hospital alone.
Saturday’s Sainsbury’s Big Shave Day was the mastermind of Luke, 20, who in a moment of madness declared in February he would go bald, and encouraged other colleagues – Ben and Chris – to join him.  It is hoped, through the lads sponsorship and donations from that of customers and passers-by into the bucket, that up to £200 will be added into the store’s total for Play2Give.
Suffice to say, the counters department is now filled of skinheads, and the store’s final few fundraising endeavours before the end of the partnership include a bag packing day on May 2nd and plans for another sponsored stroll at the end of May.
The £3,000 raised by end of last month was a record for the Didcot store, and colleagues along with customers have got involved in various fundraising antics to date ranging from a football match last September which kicked off the year, to face painting, cake bake offs, a sponsored stroll in February which raised over £900, a nightshift worker’s ‘Movember’, checkout assistants taking on a sponsored chilli-eating challenge to flower wrapping and more.
Some of the pictures from Saturday are attached – see notes below for captions.
Notes to Editors: For more information, or for quotes, about the big shave, please speak to Andrew Baker, Play2Give, on 07939064308 or play2give@hotmail.com
Luke Norris, counters assistant (who was one of the victims) who orchestrated Saturday’s effort, on 07562224339 or Veronica Dallas, the store’s PR Ambassador and charity champion, on 07904240177.