Tillie lops her locks for the Little Princess Trust

Former Thatcham schoolgirl raises more than £1,600 for children's charity

A FORMER Thatcham schoolgirl has raised more than £1,700 by donating her hair to children with cancer.

Tillie-moon Churcher was inspired to make the donation after seeing an ad on television.

Seeing children with cancer losing their hair because of the treatment, Tillie asked her mother Kirsty, if she could donate her locks to charity.

Mrs Churcher said: “She didn’t want her hair to go to waste and she knew there were kids who needed it.”

The donation is also close to the seven-year-old’s heart as her father Gary has been in remission for three years.

The family, who have now moved to Bognor Regis, set about fundraising through a Facebook and poster campaign.

Mrs Churcher said that a lot of the money had been donated from family and friends in Thatcham as Tillie is quite well-known in the town.

Former Whitelands Park Primary School pupil Tillie had 14in (34.5cm) of her hair cut off at the Riverside Caravan Park in Bognor Regis, at the end of last month.

Tillie’s locks have been donated to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that receives hair and cash donations to make replacement hairpieces for children who have lost their hair through cancer treatment.

Mrs Churcher said that her daughter had been nervous on the night but hadn’t stopped smiling since the chop.

The online campaign and donations raised £1,664.65 and a further £150 in pledges is yet to be collected.

Mrs Churcher said she had a proud mummy moment at the amount raised; crying when Tillie asked if she could fundraise, during and after the hair cut.

“Every time a donation comes through, she smiles from ear to ear,” she said.

“I let her read all the messages. I can’t really put it into words, she’s seven-years-old. I’m just so proud of her.”

The fundraising may not stop here as Tillie has hinted that if her grows long enough, she might repeat the fundraising cut.

People can donate to Tillie’s fund by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Tillie-moon?