Inspired by James Corden on his World Cup Live programme I decided to Back the Beard and not shave until England came home from the World Cup but also wanted to ensure that someone benefited from my hairiness.

I shaved, as I do every day on the morning of Saturday 12th June, prior to England's first match and have not shaved since until this morning (28th June), after England's embarrassing defeat to Germany. 

Thank you to all of you who have donated. If you have not donated, I will leave the site up until the end of the competition, so there is still time.

My dad died of lung cancer 14 years ago at the age of 57 and towards the end our his Macmillan nurse provided amazing and selfless support to him and our family. She even insisted on being called any time night or day to be there to ensure his final moments were as painless as possible so that he could die at home with his family around him. This she did, despite it happening on a Friday night when she was dining out. She left the restaurant to be there to administer morphine and support. As a result of this experience, I cannot think of a more deserving cause to benefit from my hairy chin.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now, for England, for my wife's prickled face but most of all for the magnificent Macmillan nurses.