Two girls from Harrogate will cut and donate their hair to charity to raise funds for The Candlelighters Trust charity.

Holly, 7, and Heidi, 5, will have their locks removed next month and donate their hair to the Little Princess Trust, which will turn it into real hair wigs.

The two girls have been growing their hair since last November in support of their friend Sophia Felgate, 7, who has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Sophia was first diagnosed in 2018, just a week after her third birthday. She finished treatment in August 2020, however the cancer returned last November.

The idea came from Holly wanting to give Sophia her own hair to “make her feel better”, after Sophia lost her hair due to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

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The Candlelighters Trust provides practical, emotional and financial support to families of children with cancer.

They have been helping the Felgate family since Sophia’s diagnosis in 2018. They have provided the Felgates with counselling, family fun days, massages/haircuts/manicures for Sophia and pizza nights.

The fundraiser has already raised almost £1,000. If you would like to donate to the cause you can do so on the JustGiving page.

A  Ripon Grammar School student who grew his hair during lockdown has raised more than £500 for charity after having his locks cut off.

Jamie Tabor, 15, braved a haircut in front of a packed school assembly hall, to loud applause from students and staff.

Jamie grew his hair to support the charity, WaterAid, which campaigns for clean water worldwide. WaterAid was the school’s chosen charity for its recent charity week.

The teenager donated the 12-inch lengths of hair he had cut off to The Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes wigs for children with cancer.

Jamie had been growing his hair for exactly two years, two months and 12 days.

“Classmates in my form suggested it when we were discussing how to raise money for the charity, and I thought it might be a good idea.

“It’s probably time.”

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Dan Eastham of Wilson and Bailey’s hairdressers in Ripon cut Jamie’s hair for free and said:

“We are more than happy to give time for such a good cause as WaterAid, and we do a lot of work with The Little Princess Trust too.

“I was a bit jealous. I would have loved to have had hair that colour and thickness.”

Jamie’s mother Helen Tabor said she was proud:

My hoover, bath plughole and I would like to express our delight in Jamie’s decision to do this and we’d like to thank everyone who has donated.”

Jamie, who has raised more than £300 above his target of £200, added:

“Water is taken for granted and life can be incredibly difficult without easy access to it. If something I can do will help someone, I’m all for it.

“And cancer is such a horrific thing to go through, if something from me can make it even slightly better, it’s worth it.”

To support Jamie’s fundraising haircut, visit: Helen Tabor is fundraising for WaterAid (justgiving.com)