When I told people I was going to get my hair cut, I got two suggestions: do it as a fund-raiser and donate the hair to Little Princess Trust. I've chosen Amos Trust's Women 4 Women project to receive the money raised because it's one of the charities the Herefordshire Methodist churches are supporting this year. (If you don't know, I'm a Methodist minister based in Hereford.) My hair will certainly go to Little Princess Trust, which is also based in Hereford! I'll be having my hair cut after the morning service at St John's Methodist Church on 11th July. I'll be getting it cut regardless of how much I raise, but it would be great if by the day of the deed, I could reach my target for 10 women in Gaza to get breast screening.

Discovering you have breast cancer is devastating but if you live in the Gaza Strip, it is three times more likely to be terminal. Hospitals are not allowed to bring radioisotopes into Gaza, so there is no radiotherapy available. There are acute shortages of chemotherapy drugs. Power is currently only available for three hours a day. You need permission to leave Gaza to receive treatment and you have to find the money to pay for it. The best hope is early detection. Donations to the Women 4 Women appeal will go directly to support the breast cancer screening programme at Al Ahli Arab Hospital, Amos Trust's partner in Gaza City. The cost of breast cancer screening for a woman in Gaza is £60.