It took a global pandemic to realise the beard is a bit too much. As you know COVID-19 has already claimed the lives of many people in the UK, and while we are all doing our part to shelter and care for the most vulnerable it got me thinking about people who aren't fortunate enough to have the safety net that we experience here at home. This time last year I was on my way to Ethiopia where access to medical care is both expensive and for many requires a long journey. In Bekoji, the poverty that the children face makes it difficult to access food and water but visiting the Stand by Me school reminded me that change is possible.
Recently the Stand by Me school's in Ethiopia had to close to contain the spread of coronavirus which means that many children will not be able to get the lifeline of two meals per day. Stand by Me are already responding by providing food parcels for families in need to give them essential supplies to be able to self-isolate and stay safe during this crisis.
With that in mind, the beard is coming off to raise money for Stand by Me. I will be clean shaven for the first time in 5 years and I would love to raise £200 to provide 5 families with a food parcel to get through the next month... anything you can give will make an enormous difference in helping families fight the coronavirus.
I will be going live on Facebook at 8pm on Tuesday 7th April to shave the beard!
Thank you,
Tom
UPDATE: In less than two hours we've hit the target so I've ambitiously set the new target at £400 which will help 10 families! Thank you!