A north-east cancer charity is appealing for more men to get involved with their hugely popular fashion show.
Friends of Anchor, which provides support for people going through cancer or haematology treatment, hosts two fashion shows each year.
The events go beyond showing off the latest trends, and instead bring people together – often making lifelong friends – to hit back against cancer.
Courage on the Catwalk features women, while Brave is the male equivalent. Both shows are held at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen in May.
The courageous bunch will be professionally styled and trained over the course of five rehearsals, clothes fittings and photography sessions.
Friends of Anchor also hosts an icebreaker dinner to allow the men to get to know each other – with many of them forming lasting friendships.
‘A journey filled with friendships’
Allan Leslie was one of last year’s models and is now encouraging others to give it a go.
He said: “I wish we could freeze the Brave experience in time, or do it all over again.”
“The journey is filled with new experiences and friendships being formed that last far beyond the show nights. We had a blast.”
Last year’s event showcased a line-up of models aged between 25 and 77, as hundreds of guests came along to show their support which saw the group transform from “shy guys to catwalk models”.
Watch last year’s Brave catwalk show below:
Since its inception in 2017, Brave has raised £559,888 for local cancer and haematology care.
Event allows ‘men to speak openly’
Charity boss Sarah-Jane Hogg said: “This is a really special event – year after year our models say how much they’d love to do it all again, so please take it from them.
“We often find that men don’t speak as openly about health issues they may be dealing with or have experienced in the past.
“One of our aims with Brave is to change that – this event provides a platform for men to forge new and lasting friendships with their fellow models, and the bonds we see year after year are quite incredible – there’s so much support and camaraderie between the gents.”
This year’s funding will go towards providing enhancements for The Anchor Centre, a new cancer and haematology facility due to open in September in Aberdeen.
Applicants who are selected for the catwalk must be able to take part in the shows on May 4 and 5 at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen.
For more information on how to apply, people can go to Friends of Anchor’s fundraising events page, email info@friendsofanchor.org or call 01224 859170.
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