Hair yesterday and gone today – all to help a good cause

An eight-year-old girl has more than tripled her £1,000 fundraising target for a cancer charity by having her long hair cut.

Sophie Maude began growing her hair two years ago at age six with the aim of getting it long enough to create a wig for a young cancer victim through the Little Princess Trust.

She also aimed to raise £1,000 to cover the cost of creating a wig and to pay for new drugs and research.

Instead, she smashed the target by collecting a massive £3,485, enough to pay for three wigs.

The Montablo Primary School pupil had her hair cut in September.

She said: “People say they like it shorter than long.

“I was a bit nervous, but excited as well.”

Her mum Nicola added: “It is so much easier to do, no messing around on a morning.

“She was so brave in the chair as well.

“She had the full works, she had a wash, a blow dry and styled.”

Sophie made the front page of the Mercury ahead of her haircut.

Her mum said: “She was like ‘mummy, I’m famous’.

“We were up at Eggleston Show and someone came up to us and they said, ‘were you the girl who had her hair cut?’

“She was absolutely buzzing.

“Someone recognised her which was lovely and she gave a £20 note as well.”