Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My dance principle Fiona Whyte was diagnosed with this disease last October and wants to raise awareness, so i was asked if I could shave my beard for charity.

I said that i would as i had cultivated my beard for quite some time and it means a lot to me so once I found out more about this disease I felt that it would be a wonderful thing to do for Fi and the charity itself as hopefully the money I raise will be enough to make someones life that little bit easier on the road to recovery.

Founded in 2001 the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society or NRAS for short is the only UK charity specifically devoted to help and support adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and children with Junior Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). The NRAS also supports and works closely with many health care professionals working in this area or Rheumatology.

Their aim is to raise awareness and understanding about this misunderstood disease which affects around 690,000 adults in the UK today and around 12,000 children. RA is an auto immune disease and not the same as the more common wear and tear Arthritis. RA can cause joint stiffness, swelling, extreme pain and fatigue limiting the ability to carry out everyday tasks. It can also affect other major organs such as the eyes, heart and lungs. It is a progressive chronic disease of which presently there is no cure but often a strict regime of daily medication.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.