A STUDENT at The Petersfield School has raised hundreds of pounds by having her head shaved for charity in memory of a friend who died three years ago.
So far, Sophie Morris (13), of Love Lane, has raised more than £900 for Sebastian’s Action Trust, a charity which delivers emotional, practical, and social support and holidays for terminally ill children and their families.
In 2015 the charity provided Sophie’s friend Jack and his family, and Sophie and her family, with a holiday together just before he died.
Her mother, Sarah, said: “We stayed at the charity’s disability adapted holiday home with Jack’s family and the staff were very friendly and kind to all the children as they were preparing for Jack’s death.
“Ever since then, Sophie’s been waiting for her hair to grow long enough to raise money for the trust through a head shave, and so the off-cuts would be long enough to donate to the Little Princess Trust, who use donated hair to make wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
“So over the school half-term she did a head shave to benefit the two great charities, and went back to school after the holiday with a radical new hairstyle, a crewcut.
“The shave was kindly donated by Belle de Vie salon in Lavant Street, and her friends came to help cut her hair and see what it felt like once it was shaved.”
Sophie’s appeal remains open. To donate, visit her Just Giving page at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/skinheadsophie