An international society of bearded men banded together in a historic London pub to raise money for children living in poverty.
The London Chapter of the globally recognised brotherhood, The Bearded Villains, hosted their 10th anniversary of Villainfest at the Dickens Inn on Saturday 7 June, a day enriched with festive activities to raise donations for Little Village charity.
A total of £7,000 in donations were raised for the baby bank charity, funded by entry tickets, a raffle, an auction and an anonymous donation facilitated by The Childhood Trust.
Captain of the London Chapter, otherwise known as the Big Smoke Villains, Lenny, said: “It’s that opportunity for us to give back to the community, and show people that we’re not just big bearded tattooed dudes, we’re breaking that sort of stigma too.”
He added that philanthropy and inclusivity are deeply woven into the community’s core values, practised on an international scale across 168 Chapters in 38 countries, making it the largest Beard Club in the world.
The London Captain said: “One of our key statements is to unite all beards. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, we’re a brotherhood, and we accept everyone.”
A surplus of 100 members of the bearded clan and their families united in the central city location, many arriving from overseas, such as the United States, Belgium, France and Germany.
United by their facial hair and a charitable sense of purpose, many playfully took part in the Villainfest activities with a drink in hand, the Beard Competition in particular sparking a lively and spirited atmosphere.
Co-captain of the Big Smoke Villains, Chris Portou, said: “We are trying to do a little bit of good where we can, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, how can you?
“If you can’t laugh at yourself you’re probably missing a good punchline!”
Little Village Corporate Partnerships Manager, Deborah Hopper, was invited to the event to shed awareness on the selected cause, after maintaining a six month relationship with the London clan.
Launched in 2016, Little Village aims to tackle the disturbingly high proportion of children living in poverty in the UK, currently standing at one in three.
The charity supports families in poverty through an established network of baby banks, supporting more than 32,000 UK families since their conception.
Following the Villainfest tradition, the London Chapter faithfully selects a new charity every year, having formerly raised £6,000 for UK Homes 4 Heroes in their 2024 event.
For some, the bearded community offers a comforting network of support, as individuals initially united by their facial hair have forged lifelong friendships.
Vinnie Oosterlinck of the Belgian Chapter said: “Bearded Villains brought me together with a lot of people that I love dearly in my heart.
“They have not become my friends, they have become family, they have become brothers.”
The Flemish member reflected on how Bearded Villains has curated a space for men to break free from stereotypes of stoicism, inviting them to openly express their emotions.
Oosterlinck, who was awarded an Honorary Membership by the society, said: “Not only can you be yourself, but if you have mental issues, you can verbalise that to your brothers.”
He added: “I could cry while I’m here [at Villainfest], and not be judged for it.”
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