THE JOINT owner of the Thomas Tripp pub in Christchurch has done his bit to help support keyworkers across the country by braving the shave and raising over £1,600 in aid of the NHS.

Simon Wyatt-Budd, director of INK Associates, set up a crowdfunding page on behalf of Thomas Tripp and asked for donations for him to cut of his long flowing locks, which he did on Saturday April 11.

Whilst the Thomas Tripp in Christchurch has been shut down for three weeks, Simon and the rest of the team at the pub have been keeping in touch on a weekly basis with their loyal locals.

He said: “I generally sport long hair and in my 53 years on the planet I have never had a crew cut/skin head - so it was a big deal for me.

“I decided to do the head shave as I wanted to do two things, bring together our fabulous locals who have been in self isolation and missing the Thomas Tripp, but fundamentally it was to let the NHS know how much we care and appreciate their commitment and courage in saving lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We at Thomas Tripp applaud them, metaphorically and literally every Thursday.”

Simon also helps with the running of major events in the area including the Mudeford RNLI events and the Mudeford Seafood Festival, the latter of which has been postponed during the coronavirus outbreak.

To donate to Simon’s crowdfunding page, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=simonwyattbudd&pageUrl=1.