Since John Barrow retired from local government on medical grounds, following a car accident in 2013, he has been filling his time by volunteering in various roles.

John works at the St Davids Hospice charity shop in Caldicot, prior to which he volunteered for the British Heart Foundation for seven years. He is part of the team organising the Caldicot Food Festival and is a Monmouthshire Ambassador. He is a member of the Caldicot Musical Theatre Society and has just been elected to the Board of the Monmouthshire Housing Association as a Tenant Member.

You could be forgiven for thinking that John, who is 68 years old, is doing enough and should slow down, but his latest charitable effort ’reached a head’ literally on Saturday when John ’Braved the Shave’ to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Care.

“I lost my cousin Gillian to breast cancer in early July and  at her funeral in Manchester I promised myself that I would do something for a cancer charity. I found that Macmillan Cancer Care were running this Brave the Shave challenge and so I signed up,” he said.

Having not shaved or cut his hair for two months, Nelly at Chepstow Barbers shaved his head and face leaving him completely bald and clean-shaven, the first time he has been clean-shaven in over 40 years

So far, John has raised nearly £200 in sponsorship but is hoping to raise a lot more. Anyone interested in donating can sponsor him via his Facebook page, or visiting www.bravetheshave.org.uk.