Dear All,

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Here you will find information on my challenge - on May 25th 2013 I will be shaving and donating my hair for the Little Princess Trust and Cancer Research UK.

As a teenager, age 17, I am often plagued by insecurities regarding self-image and confidence. Young people often define themselves through their hairstyles. I know that I am always changing my hair cut, varying from long styles to short cropped bobs. I've never been particularly attached to my hair and you could say that I take it for granted. So many young children and teenagers are affected by the traumatic results of chemotherapy or alopecia in which they lose their hair. This can be extremely stressful for them, on top of the added pressure of the disease itself. What I aim to do here is donate the hair that I have and proceed to shave off the rest. In this way I can attempt to experience what a young person goes through at the loss of their hair. Everyone is, at some point in their life, affected or touched by cancer. Although this may occur indirectly, the impact is still the same. I hope to face the harsh reality of hair loss in young people through my challenge.

I will first be cutting off sections of my hair and they will be donated to the Little Princess Trust. They specialise in creating wigs out of real hair for children and teenagers who have lost their own. After cutting off these parts I will shave the remaining strands off, going completely bald.

I am hoping to raise at least £500 for Cancer Research UK through shaving my hair. I am asking for sponsorship from anyone that feels this cause is worth their donation. Even if a donation is not given, verbal support is always appreciated.

-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.-

I hope you will all be able to spare some money for this very important and worthwhile cause.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my cause.

Lots of Love,

Anna x