Laura Elliot, a 28-year-old from Newcastle, has donated 57 inches of her hair to charity over the past 12 years, allowing five wigs to be created for children in need. This weekend, she will chop off another 10 inches to produce a sixth wig for The Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides free real-hair wigs to children and young people facing hair loss from cancer or other conditions.
First donation at 16
Laura was just 16 years old when she first donated her hair to the charity. Since then, she has continued to grow and donate her hair several times. Her most recent cut was in 2023, and she has been growing her hair since then in preparation for this weekend's donation.
Speaking ahead of her haircut, Laura said: "I love the fact that I can support amazing causes and also provide a wig to those who need one at the same time. I was lucky enough to get good hair genes, my hair grows really fast so 12 years ago I thought why not put it to good use."
Fundraising efforts
Laura has also been fundraising alongside her hair donations. She previously worked at a FACT charity shop for a few years and began her first lot of fundraising, raising £915. Over the years, she has fundraised for various causes, including a defibrillator at work, raising over £1,100.
So far, Laura has raised nearly £400 of her £600 target for wig number six on her fundraiser. This time, she is also hoping to raise funds for a local teenager named Osian, who needs a specialist disability bike.
Supporting a local teenager
Laura said: "This time round I'm raising funds to support Osian whose story caught my attention, I knew I wanted to support this cause straight away. Osian is local to me and we have mutual friends. This bike would give him something many of us take for granted — freedom, independence, exercise and the chance to enjoy riding outdoors safely."
Osian's mum, Lucy Osborne, has set up a fundraiser to purchase a disability support side-by-side trike which costs £8,500. For more information, you can visit his fundraising page.
