The Bay Horse in Fore Bondgate, Bishop Auckland – a pub celebrated for its strong community spirit, has raised an impressive £4,681.62 for Breast Cancer Now through its recent “Wear It Pink” fundraiser.
The event, organised by landlady Zara Lawlor, brought locals together for a day of fundraising, awareness, and solidarity. Volunteers from the community bravely offered to have their heads and beards shaved, with the team from M & L Studios generously donating their time and skills. The pub was transformed for the occasion, decorated with pink flags and balloons, while supporters dressed in pink helped create a vibrant, positive atmosphere.
In addition to raising funds, the event also made a meaningful contribution to children affected by cancer. All the hair collected from the head-shave participants was donated to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that creates real-hair wigs for children and young people experiencing hair loss due to cancer treatment and other conditions. This added extra impact to the day, helping support families during some of their most challenging moments.
Zena Farel, North East Representative for Wear It Pink, highlighted the importance of the event, saying: “More than 55,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, and events like this are essential for raising both awareness and vital funds for life-saving research and support.
“Thank you to Zara and the entire Bay Horse community for delivering such a fantastic campaign.”
Landlady Zara Lawlor expressed her gratitude and pride in the community’s efforts: “Breast Cancer Now is a charity very close to my heart. They do incredible work, and it’s an honour to support them.
“I’m so proud that we raised over £4,600 at our Wear It Pink event. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who donated and took part. A special thank you goes to Dorbiere for their continued support, Lorimers Cricket, M & L Hair Studio for the head shaves, A. Ridley, and fantastic rock band Elenbak for kindly donating their performance fees.
“The turnout was phenomenal — Bishop Auckland, you have truly done us proud!”
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
