After going to the Black Lives Matter protest in Chesham I realised just how important it is to turn words from posts online into actions in real life when you’re trying to make change. This led me to come up with the idea to raise money and give to two charities that I think are so important and are helping change people’s lives.

After growing my hair down to around waist height, I have decided to give it the big chop to just above my shoulders on Wednesday 8th July. I’m going to donate all the hair I cut off (around 10 inches) to a charity that makes wigs for children with cancer known as the Little Princess Trust.

I have also set up this Just Giving page to ask for sponsorship in cutting off my hair to raise money for another charity in the UK called the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. This charity gives young people from disadvantaged backgrounds the support and opportunity to succeed in life.

Here is some information about the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust:

‘The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust was set up in the light of Stephen Lawrence’s murder in a racist attack in 1993. A lot has changed since Stephen’s murder, but some things have stayed the same. Too many young people still struggle to succeed because they are disadvantaged by factors beyond their control, such as where they are born, the school they go to, or any discrimination they may face.

At the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, we don’t accept that your background should limit what you can achieve. We work with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds aged 13 to 30 to broaden their view of what’s possible. We help them to gain the knowledge, skills, and qualifications they need to pursue the career of their choice, and we support them to progress through the early stages of their career. We also work with community groups, companies and others to create a fairer society in which everyone can thrive.

Our vision is that every person, regardless of their background, has the opportunity and support to flourish in a society that treats them with fairness and respect.’

Any sponsorship donations will be greatly appreciated, and will all go to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

27/06/20 Update: I had no idea what to set as the target to begin with. However, waking up on only the second day to almost 50% of the goal makes me feel so grateful for all the incredible support you've all shown me and this amazing cause! In light of this, I have changed the target from £500 to £846 in memory of George Floyd as he was held down for 8 minutes 46 seconds. From what I have seen already I have so much faith that we will get there - Thank you everyone!