WHEN a poster was put up in the staffroom calling for men to take part in the global fundraising phenomenon Movember, the first to sign up was Kirsty Thomson.

Sure she may not be able to grow her own moustache, but that wasn’t going to stop her giving herself a Misstache.

This might come as no surprise to the Peebles community, as Kirsty is known for her whacky and daring charity ventures.

She’s shaved her head, slept rough for homeless charity Social Bite, dressed as captain tea towel and, probably most surprisingly, held her tongue for 24 hours by doing a sponsored silence.

Over the years her out-of-the-box endeavours have raised many funds for Cash for Kids, a charity close to her heart.

But this November Kirsty was not going to be left out of the fundraising fun which challenges males to change the face of men’s health by growing a ‘tache'.

For over a decade men have been committing fashion crimes with facial hair in the name of Movember.

And this year Holland & Sherry staff member Kirsty, is joining her male colleagues.

“Paul Martin has organised the event at work for the past few years,” said Kirsty. “This year I decided I wanted to join the 15 guys who are all growing moustaches.”

Kooky Kirsty wasn’t going to let the fact she couldn’t grow her own get it the way. “I came up with the idea to wear a fake moustache to work Monday through to Friday for the whole of November.”

Asked what the reaction was from her husband Paul and two sons Callum and Ben, Kirsty laughed: “My son Callum said 'you’re not seriously going to do it – you aren’t actually going to grow one?'”

Luckily Kirsty’s crazy idea grew on her red-faced family who relaxed their stiff upper lip to her to her fundraiser.

“They all know what I’m like,” she mused. “My husband hates it when I do things like this. But this time he hasn’t seen me wearing the moustaches as I only have them on during work hours. I de-fuzz for going home.”

Of course, wearing a plain conventional moustache every day throughout November sounded a bit boring, so Kirsty has purchased lots of different styles and colours.

She told us: “I put on a different one every day and staff at work come and have a peek at what I’m wearing.”

Family, friends and colleagues are by now quite used to Kirsty’s bonkers ideas, but what has the reaction been from the community?

“It’s definitely a talking point. The school kids are hilarious. You can see them looking trying not to laugh when they see me in Sainsbury’s at lunchtimes, then they walk off sniggering. I was up at the health centre and a man was sitting nudging his wife. It’s quite funny,” said Kirsty.

But having facial fuzz has its challenges. “I have to plan my meals. Today I’m having toast for lunch as I’m wearing a pirate beard and soup wouldn’t be a good idea.

“My Friday moustaches are big ones and getting bigger with the last one getting a bit blinged up.”

By joining her ‘mo-bros’ this ‘mo-sista’ has raised over £200 for the charity so far and says the generosity of locals supporting her has given her a fuzzy feeling.

“You never know what’s going to happen in life and when you’re going to need a hand, so anything I can do for charity I will.”

If you would like to sponsor Kirsty pop into Carols Creations, Northgate, Peebles. Alternatively grab the bearded lady you see walking down the street – she won’t be hard to spot.