LOSING 15 inches of hair in memory of her friends, Lizzy Hobbs of Bude will be holding a charity coffee morning during which she will chop off her locks for The Little Princess Trust.

On February 20, at midday, Lizzy will be having her hair cut off during a charity coffee morning. She will donate the 15 inches to The Little Princess Trust to be made into a wig for children with hair loss due to cancer treatment, whilst any funds raised through this sponsored event will be split between YoungMinds and Cancer Research UK.

Lizzy has been fundraising since September through a series of events including a Grand Variety Concert in October. The cause is extremely close to her heart, after losing two friends Lizzy decided to make a large gesture to raise money and awareness.

Lizzy said: “I’m having my hair cut in memory of two good friends, Chloe Martyn and Emily-Jacob Whelan. I’m sending my hair to The Little Princess Fund and raising funds for Cancer Research UK for Chloe as I know how hair loss through treatment can make people, especially children, feel like social outcasts. Children are especially vulnerable to being bullied because of this, so to give my hair to make a child feel ‘normal’ is an honour.

“The other half of my fundraising is for YoungMinds in memory of Emily-Jacob as they are a charity focused on young people’s mental health and preventing young suicide.”

Lizzy had originally set out to raise just £100 but the response has exceeded her expectations already: “I’m blown away by the generosity shown by local businesses supporting my raffle and refreshments for my events, and I’m completely overwhelmed by the support I’ve received from the very start of my journey. When I started I thought I might raise £100 to send to the charities but I’m on my way to nearly £1,000! I feel so blessed to be part of this wonderful supportive community.”

To support Lizzy visit her GoFundMe page ‘Lizzy’s Big Chop — Haircut for Charity’.

The coffee morning is being held at Oceans Community Church, The Venue, Bude on Wednesday, February 20, from 10am to 2pm with Lizzy’s hair chop on stage at midday.