IN PICTURES: Walsall beard-off raises money to fight bowel cancer
A national beard champion kicked off a charity competition in a Black Country pub.
As part of the preparations for bowel cancer awareness campaign Decembeard, Simon Sheffield welcomed 22 of the country's finest facial fuzz competitors to the The Wheatsheaf in Walsall town centre for a beard-off.
The 39-year-old from Great Barr, who was the 2014 British Beard and Moustache champion for natural goatee, started supporting the Beating Bowel Cancer charity's Decembeard campaign after his mother Sue Sheffield died of the disease in 1999 when she was just 50.
He said: "I was 22, my brother was 24 and my sister was 19. We were all quite young and she never got to see any of us get married. She never got to meet her grandchildren.
"It was very upsetting and very difficult for a while and still something that gets to me today."
The call centre worker, who is married, said through working with the charity he had met two inspiring survivors Nick Bannon, of Erdington, and Martin Vickers, from Burton, who have overcome the disease.
"My message is through raising awareness of the charity we can have more people like Martin and Nick than people like me who have lost someone," Simon added.
More than 60 people attended the beard contest on Saturday raising £700 for the charity.
There were several categories on the night with Dan Hardwick of Kingswinford, winning best 'full beard' and Mike Wellsbury-Nye, from Plymouth, scooping best 'business beard' - for those whose work requires them to keep their facial hair restrained.
Wolverhampton's Ray Bereza bagged best 'partial beard' and best overall beard on the night while the 'fake beard' category - allowing everyone to take part - was won by Walsall woman Anne Weaver.
Mr Sheffield added: "It was a great event, everyone has told me they had a great time and to raise the money we did was fantastic.
"It was all about supporting Decembeard and encouraging people to get involved.
"I have had a beard for around 18 years. I decided to go to the British Beard Championships for a bit of fun but I ended up winning.
"After that I just thought what is the best thing to do with an award-winning beard and I felt the best way was to use it to raise money for charity."
The Decembeard campaign is aiming to raise £500,000 for Beating Bowel Cancer.
