WILTSHIRE Mind unveiled its new charity shop in Melksham over the weekend thanks to the fundraising efforts of landscape gardener Chas March who shaved off half his beard to raise over £11,000.

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 Wiltshire Mind kept on flowing.

Originally from Epsom in Surrey, Mr March has strong ties to Melksham-based charity as his parents Eric and Brenda, who live in 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.

Mr March said: “It was great fun and I raised more than I ever thought I would be able to. I was amazing to go to the charity shop on the day and see where the money went and it was a real honour and privilege.”

The new charity shop, located on Church Street in the town, will now be run by volunteers and a store manager.

Chief Executive of Wiltshire Mind, Carolyn Beale, said without the money raised by Mr March, the charity shop would not have been able to open.

“The charity shop is a new venture for us and it is the first and only shop we have in Wiltshire. We managed to do it through the fundraising work of Chas and this inevitably allowed us to open the shop.

“Wiltshire Mind does not receive any statutory funding which therefore means we have to fundraise in other ways to provide our mental health services across Wiltshire.”

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.

Mr March hopes to add to his £11,000 in fundraising efforts later this year with another challenge although he hasn’t quite decided what to do next.