CHRISTMAS is all about giving for one Stratford girl, who has raised hundreds of pounds by donating her hair.
Six-year-old Bernie Edwards could almost sit on her hair it was so long, but she had it chopped off to help other children. Eleven inches of her dark blonde locks were donated to The Little Princess Trust, which provides free real hair wigs to children and young people.
Each wig costs £700 to make, so Bernie raised £704 through sponsorship from friends and family via a Just Giving page.
The charity has a network of hair salon owners who support their work by cutting hair for free and Bernie’s was styled by Dee Archer of Snips in Sheep Street.
Bernie Edwards with Dee from Snips hair salon.
Dee said: “Bernie’s been coming to me since she was a baby – she’d grown her hair so it was lovely and thick and long and she was really excited to be doing it for charity.”
The donated hair was posted off and a few weeks later Bernie received a certificate of thanks from The Little Princess Trust.
The trust, based in Hereford, has provided more than 17,000 wigs to youngsters who’ve lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.
It also funds research into childhood cancer.
Ideally, the charity asks for 12 inches of hair but will take a minimum of nine inches.
Bernie’s mum Dayna, who also has a one-year-old daughter, said: “In the spring when Bernie said she’d like to have her hair cut short, I asked her if she’d like to donate it to the charity.
Bernie having her hair cut at Snips salon
“She said yes straight away but as they want it as long as possible, she decided to carry on growing it all through the summer until it was long enough.
“She absolutely loves her new haircut – it used to take quite a while for me to plait her hair in the mornings before school but now all we have to do is brush it.”
Bernie, who goes to Holy Trinity C of E Primary School, said: “I was very excited to have my hair cut short and hope another child likes my hair, too.”