Close shave for hospital's hairy doctors and nurses

A GROUP of male nurses and doctors are just a whisker away from raising �1,000 for the ShelterBox appeal. Eleven medical colleagues from North Devon District Hospital spent the whole of February cultivating facial hair to raise money for the ShelterBox ap

A GROUP of male nurses and doctors are just a whisker away from raising �1,000 for the ShelterBox appeal.

Eleven medical colleagues from North Devon District Hospital spent the whole of February cultivating facial hair to raise money for the ShelterBox appeal, following a challenge issued by staff nurse Andy Haydon.

And after a month of sponsored "razor dodging", they met last night (Sunday) to bid their beards farewell at a special "Shave Off" event at Buddy's Bar in Barnstaple.

Friends and colleagues were invited along to vote for the winners of some hotly contested awards, including "Manliest Beard" and "Smoothest Face", before bidding for the right to shave their favourite candidate.

"We had a great night and raised in excess of �700, hopefully more towards �1,000 when the final sponsor forms are collected," said charge nurse, Mike Bayliss, who works on the Medical Assessment Unit, at NDDH.

"We've raised enough to buy one ShelterBox for Haiti but we'd like to keep collecting a little longer to be able to afford to buy another for victims of the weekend's earthquake in Chile," added Mike, winner of the "Smoothest Face" award. Gareth Bosence won the award for "Manliest Beard".

To donate money to group's efforts, a collection tin is available at the Medical Assessment Unit at NDDH.