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On my travels, I decided that I definitely don't do enough for a good cause. After immediately ruling out being sponsored for anything sports related (for obvious reasons) it became clear to me that I had 10 inches of fund raising gold hanging about my shoulders – my hair. Therefore, I am hacking off my hair in the hopes that you kind people will sponsor me.

It didn’t take me any time to decide who to get sponsored in aid of. In February, I visited Tikva Children’s Home in Odessa, Ukraine. The children there were so warm, loving and well looked after that I formed an immediate attachment with them. For these reasons, I was completely shocked to see the living situations that they had been saved from. A run down hovel with no electricity, water or even a toilet was normality for these children, causing plenty to escape the squalor and often abusive parenting in favour of the streets. Thankfully, Tikva has managed to take in lots of these children, giving them love, care and an education to break the cycle of poverty that they had been brought up with. Families from Israel have uprooted their lives in order to move to the Ukraine to help with this noble cause, and the difference that they have made is clear after meeting the gorgeous, contented children. Although I’m not quite ready to invest in a puffer jacket and brave that weather permanently, I really want to do something to help. Looking after so many children is obviously a huge economic strain, and as this is a small charity, it does struggle. By raising money, Tikva can carry on providing for the children they have already and they can take more in, as plenty of others are in desperate need. If you want to read more about Tikva, go to this link: http://tikvaodessa.org/

The hair that I am cutting off will go to Locks of Love, a charity that turns hair into wigs for underprivileged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss for any diagnosis, such as alopecia. Knowing how important my hair is to me, I cannot imagine how heartbreaking losing it to an illness would be. With a wig donated by Locks of Love, they can carry on their normal lives without being stared at or bullied, and the constant reminder of being ill is hidden. To find out more about Locks of Love, click here: http://locksoflove.org/

Therefore, with two brilliant reasons, I have decided to book myself in for a big haircut. Having always had long hair, this is quite a scary prospect and I would really appreciate any sponsors for encouragement. They are both such good causes and the money we would normally waste on another cocktail or Starbucks would go towards making a difference. Thank you so much.

 

 Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.