Gateshead Residents Race in Weird and Wacky Wigs for Charity

Swalwell Cricket Ground in Gateshead was awash bright colours last month as locals donned their weirdest and wackiest wigs to take part in a fitness fundraiser, all in the name of charity.

Blue, pink and purple-coloured wigs appeared particularly popular, as well as the odd mohawk. This eye-catching spectacle was for Wig Walk, an annual event held to raise funds for Fighting All Cancers Together (FACT), which took place this year on 20th June.

People of all ages descended upon the Tyne and Wear cricket ground to participate in the family-friendly event. The day even had a touch of star power, with former Newcastle United FC striker Joe Allon being on hand to start the race.

Joanne Smith, founder of FACT, said: “This is not only a great way to support FACT, but also a great camaraderie opportunity for teams if they represent businesses, organisations or schools.

“We are incredibly grateful to all participants who continue to raise much needed funds for FACT.”

With smiles all round, the event was a big hit in terms of raising people’s spirits, as well as raising money and awareness for this worthy charity, which accepts donations via its FACT Just Giving page.

More about FACT

FACT Cancer is a charity based in Gateshead, founded by Joanne Smith who was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 at the age of 34.

After going through a double mastectomy, followed by breast reconstruction surgery, Joanne felt compelled to connect with others who were diagnosed with cancer. From this, FACT was born, and today the charity’s primary aims are to give support and understanding to those diagnosed with cancer, build partnerships with health professionals and educate people on the disease.

The charity also has a ‘Wig Wonderland’ service, where they take unwanted wigs and wash, condition, disinfect and restyle them. The wigs are then sold at low prices to people with cancer and hair loss conditions like Alopecia.

Cancer treatment and hair loss

While cancer itself does not cause hair to fall out, chemotherapy can cause hair loss from the head, as well as other parts of the body - including eyelashes, eyebrows and even hair inside the nose.

This is because chemotherapy works by introducing anti-cancer drugs into the body to destroy cancer cells. However, a side effect is that these drugs can also attack normal cells in the body, including the hair follicle cells responsible for hair growth.

Not all chemotherapy treatments cause patients to lose their hair, and sometimes the loss is barely noticeable. The good news is that the hair usually grows back once treatment has finished, and permanent hair loss as a result of chemotherapy is rare.

The Belgravia Centre

Visit our full photographic Hair Loss Success Stories gallery to browse our constantly updated collection of over 1,000 male and female patients’ progress images, alongside their feedback. If you are worried about hair loss and would like to speak to one of our experts, call us now on 020 7730 6666 or send us a message to book your free, discreet one-on-one consultation at either of our Central London clinics. Alternatively, if you are unable to visit us, you can complete our Online Diagnostic Form instead.

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