**Edit**

Thanks to your incredible generosity in sponsoring me for Plan International UK's #HomeHairstyleChallenge we have smashed my original fundraising target of £300 and are now up to a whopping £900!

Therefore, as promised, the Instagram live will take place on Saturday (2nd May) at 2.30pm if you're keen to join and heckle away!  Add me @hayloupea

But I'm going to up the ante. The more cash we can raise, the more inches I'll let Ant cut:

£1000 = 2 inches

£1100 = 3 inches

£1200 = 4 inches

£1300 = 5 inches

£1500+ = 6 inches

**

The coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating impact on lives all over the world. 

For children in the world’s most vulnerable communities, the challenge couldn’t be greater.  Especially for those living in crowded conditions like refugee camps, where social distancing simply isn’t an option and access to soap and water are scarce. 

Here in the UK we know that our children will eventually return to school, but from Plan’s experiences of crisis situations in developing nations, we know it’s very unlikely that not all children, particularly girls, will ever return to school.  This will further entrench gender gaps in education, increase the likelihood of child marriage, exploitation, and undermine girls' longer-term opportunities.

For this reason I’m going to take part in Plan International UK’s #HomeHairstyleChallenge and let Ant loose on my locks!  If I can
reach my fundraising target of £300 I’ll let Ant cut and colour my hair!  Scissors and pink hair dye are on order in anticipation of just how much you’ll all enjoy this!  If we get to £500 I’ll do an Instagram live
of it taking place!

The money raised will go to Plan International UK’s Coronavirus Children’s Emergency Appeal which could support our ongoing response to the crisis which includes:

- Supplying hygiene kits and clean water to families, so they can safely wash their hands and prevent the spread of the disease in their communities

- Scaling up our work in refugee camps, as well as camps for internally displaced people, where healthcare systems are most fragile and space is severely limited

- Ensuring children keep learning, even when schools are closed. We will distribute learning materials, help teachers to deliver distance learning and support parents and caregivers to provide safe home environments for both learning and play.

- Supporting health teams and community mobilisers to share messages on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus and working with local radio stations to broadcast radio messages across communities.

You can find more information via this link - https://plan-uk.org/get-involved/fundraise-for-us/home-hairstyle-challenge