Barbers at The Derry Barber Company, based at 22 Great James Street are calling on everyone to get involved and donate to their #Movember campaign; – a campaign of particular significance to the tight knit team due to the fact that one of their barbers was directly affected by male cancer at the tender age of 19.

Jake Gallagher was diagnosed with stage 2 testicular cancer four years ago. It was the first time that the family had to cope with cancer and it was particularly unnerving given his young age. Speaking about his experience though, Jake is pragmatic “At the time I was diagnosed, I didn’t really think about it. It didn’t sink in; I was buoyed up with the support from my friends and family. They really carried me through. It was them that I opened up to first about my concerns, it was them that pushed me to go to the doctor, it was them that helped me recover after the operation and it was them that took me to the treatments for chemotherapy and radiotherapy in Belfast. I didn’t really come to terms with my diagnosis until months after.”
When pressed for a poignant memory of this time Jake recalls sitting in the Sperrin Suite, the youngest there, with lots of older men with no hair. Maybe it was the male kinship experienced there in relation to hair that drove Jake to choose the profession he did.
Jake now is definitely not one to be defined by his experience. In remission for 4 years, he has went on to train and work as a barber, working in Derry initially and them emigrating to Australia to work in a traditional Italian barbershop. Jake’s deep roots in Derry called him back home again after a year. He joined The Derry Barber Company early in 2014 and has firmly embedded himself as one of Derry’s best known and loved barbers.
This is the first time that Jake has got involved in the Movember campaign. His six male colleagues at the Derry Barber Company are joining him in sporting designer moustaches over the next month and raising money for this worthy cause. Thanking Jake for his honesty, The Derry Barber Company’s Founder and Master Barber, David Craig said: “This campaign is all about raising awareness of male cancer. It is about being brave enough to have the conversation, to encourage early detection and treatment. I would like to thank Jake for being so open about his experience. It has reinforced to us the poignancy of this fundraising effort. I also hope that it will help many of our male clients to examine themselves and go to the doctors if they have any concerns. Jake is a tribute and testament to the importance of early detection, prevention and cure.”
The Derry Barber Company is currently charting in the top 300 fundraising teams in the UK already. They are calling on everyone in the North West to donate to http://uk.movember.com/team/1521901.

Ends ————————————————————————————————–
Notes to Editors:
1. The Derry Barber Company is a team of 6 barbers who will be growing moustaches over the month of November in a range of different styles and colours.
2. The Traditional Barbershop will be hosting a shave down party in the shop on Sunday 30th November
3. The Barbershop has become the leading barbershop in the North West for hot towel cut throat shaves and masculine hair styling.
4. The Barbershop will be posting a weekly update on the style and growth of their moustaches on their social media sites.
5. 2014 has seen a significant growth in the trend of sporting male facial hair. Whilst beards are more prevalent Movember is all about moustaches.
For further information please contact:
Rachelle Craig
Public Relations
The Derry Barber Company
22 Great James Street
Derry
07843066819
www.thederrybarbercompany.com