A TEENAGER from Rylstone is set to have her long hair cut short to raise vital funds for Manorlands Hospice.

Emily Butcher, 15, is raising funds for the hospice in memory of her mother, Katherine, who died when Emily was just eight years old and spent her last days in Manorlands.

“My mum was looked after so well and the help we received as a family was invaluable,” she said.

“I really want to raise as much money as possible for them so that they can continue providing this care and support for other families, as they did for us. I came up with the idea to ‘sponsor my bob’ and have been overwhelmed with the support so far.”

Emily, who has always had long hair, will have more than seven inches chopped from her lovely locks. The hair will be sent to The Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children who have lost hair due to cancer treatment.

She has set herself a target of £2,000, and has already raised more than £1,700. “Every penny that people give adds up. It all counts, any money raised will make a big difference. Just £21 could pay for an hour of specialist, comforting care for someone. No-one knows when they or someone in their family might need the support of a charity like this, so we all need to support them too,”she said.

Andrew Wood, community fundraising manager at Manorlands, said: “We’re so grateful to Emily for braving the chop to raise vital funds for our hospice in memory of her mum. Fundraising has been difficult during the pandemic. We remain reliant on individuals and companies generously donating and supporting us.”

Emily will be having her hair cut on November 9 at Salon 41 in Grassington. To sponsor Emily visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sponsor-my-bob