A Wigan girl is to cut off 12ins of her hair to help fund wigs for children with cancer

A Wigan schoolgirl will be taking on the selfless act of cutting off her own hair in order to create wigs for children with cancer.

Ellie Wilkieson, 10, aims to lose a whopping 12ins of her locks on October 17 to raise money for The Little Princess Trust.

The trust is a UK charity providing free, real-hair wigs to children and young people up to age 24 experiencing medical hair loss.

Funded by donations, it uses donated hair to restore confidence. It also funds vital research into finding kinder childhood cancer treatments.

Ellie was inspired to take on the big chop after being inspired by her mum Amy’s own decision to shave her head and also upon finding out that a wig can cost around £700 to make.

Amy said: “I did Brave the Shave last August and Ellie wanted to do it then but her hair wasn’t long enough. She also does some acting and her headshots are due in October so I told her that we’ll do it then and then she can have new headshots.”

“I did mine because my grandma passed away from cancer and we managed to raise £1,200 for the charity then.”

Brave the Shave is a major UK charity fundraising campaign run by Macmillan Cancer Support. Participants get sponsored by friends and family to shave their heads.

Ellie will be having a significant amount of hair chopped off which will result in her having a short bob.

Amy said: “She’s seen me do it, so she want to make an impact for herself now.

“We’re extremely proud of her and we just want to help her raise as much money as she possibly can.”

Since the GoFundMe link has gone live, Ellie has managed to raise £450, put she’s hoping to raise enough to fund at least two wigs.

The haircut will be taking place at Springview Cricket Club, where Ellie is a member of the under-11s team for a small gathering on October 17.

To donate to Ellie’s haircut fundraiser for The Little Princess Trust, go to: https://fundraise.littleprincesses.org.uk/fundraising/elles-fundraiser-xx