Head shave raises almost £3,000 for cancer ward
Members of an Ipswich social club have shown support, after Jilly Hart had her head shaved to raise almost £3,000 for the Somersham Ward at Ipswich Hospital.
Why it matters: Money raised goes towards extra comforts and amenities for the Somersham Ward and its clinics, which care for cancer patients and their families at Ipswich Hospital.
The details: The head shave took place at the California social club on Foxhall Road on Sunday, 24 May. Jilly, a club member, took to the clippers after a friend was recently helped by the ward.
"A friend of mine has recently been helped by Somersham Ward. So I am having my head shaved to raise some money for the ward," she said.
The big picture: The money supports the Somersham Ward Support Group, which has raised more than £1.7m for the oncology unit at Ipswich Hospital since it was founded in 1986. The group's officials and members all work on a voluntary basis.
In a letter thanking Jilly, the group said donations were used "towards providing extra comforts and amenities for the ward and in clinics". It said it had recently bought chairs for the Woolverstone waiting area.
What they're saying: Jilly's effort drew warm praise from others from the local community. "Honestly, what an absolute inspiration — we need more people like you in this world, Jill," wrote one supporter.
The thanks also came from the ward itself. "I work in Somersham Ward — thank you very much for doing this for our ward," said one member of staff.
The bottom line: A single afternoon on Foxhall Road has added close to £3,000 to a fund that has supported Ipswich cancer patients for nearly four decades — and shown, in the words of one supporter, "the power of the support and generosity people can give to one another."
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