Landscape gardener Chas March is growing accustomed to strange looks with one side of his face clean shaven and the other sporting a full beard and ’tache.

The 44-year-old decided to cultivate his one-sided ginger beard as a bet for Movember but vowed to keep on growing because the money for his chosen charity Wiltshire Mind kept on flowing.

His parents Brenda and Eric, of White Street, Market Lavington, have supported the charity for many years.

His mum has been working in mental health for more than 30 years and helped the charity as a support worker and volunteer for the past nine, while his dad has been a trustee of the charity for three years.

Chas said: “I can’t go anywhere without strange looks, especially now the beard is getting quite long.

“Mental health affects so many people and, due to my parents’ involvement, it was a no-brainer on who I would give the money to.

“The charity does great work and anything I can do to help will be of benefit to them.”

Mum Brenda, 67, said: “What Chas is doing is fantastic and this money will make such a difference.”

Wiltshire Mind, which needs around £100,000 a year to carry out its work, lost its funding from Wiltshire Council in 2010 and relies solely on donations.

So far Mr March has raised just under £5,100 and has been keeping Facebook followers up to date every two weeks with photographs of his growing beard.

Mr March, who lives with wife Jo and four children in Epsom in Surrey, said: “I have had over 100 donations but my goal now is to get to £10,000. I will keep the beard and carry on longer if donations keep flooding in after that though.”

Mr March has received many donations from strangers and developed an alter ego known as Arthur Beard-Face.

He said: “A lot of people have asked about it and given an impromptu donation, with my weirdest donation of £10 coming from a complete stranger in the toilets.”

To donate visit http://uk.virg inmoneygiving.com/ChasMarch or visit www.facebook.com/pr ofile.php?id=100006322002349