A PLUCKY young girl has followed in the footsteps of pop star Jessie J by shedding her flowing locks to benefit cancer patients – inspired by her late father.
Fourteen-year-old Hope Beech, of Plas Madoc in Wrexham, loved looking after and styling her shoulder-length blonde mane.
But she decided to have it all shaved off in aid of two charities which help sufferers from cancer, the disease which claimed the life of her beloved Dad when she was just six years old.
And Sharon Hughes, who owns and runs the busy Gozo Men hair salon in the Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre in Wrexham, selected her two top stylists for the delicate job of performing Hope’s close shave completely free of charge.
Cash from sponsorship of her challenge – estimated at hundreds of pounds – will now go to national charity Macmillan Cancer Support, which provides practical, medical and emotional support for sufferers of the disease.
And Hope’s former crowning glory was carefully collected up and donated to a charity called the Little Princesses Trust which specialises in using human hair to make wigs for young cancer patients whose treatment causes them to lose their own.
That means Hope, who is in Year 9 at Ysgol Ruabon, has repeated the big-hearted action of pop sensation Jessie J who donated her famous black locks to Little Princess following her own live TV head shave for this year’s Comic Relief in March.
Hope’s father, Peter Beech, died from lung cancer eight years ago when she was just a little girl and ever since she’s been determined to do something to help other cancer patients and their families.
She chose August 12 as the day for her shave as it was the eighth anniversary of her Dad’s death.
The Gozo Men salon was packed with over 50 of Hope’s family and friends for the big event.
As she settled into the chair, salon director Katie Hughes, 24, who is owner Sharon’s daughter, and ace stylist 21-year-old Tara Davies painstakingly tied up Hope’s hair in bunches so that it could be easily be placed in a big brown envelope ready for posting off to the Little Princess charity.
It was then time for Katie to move in first with scissors and then the electric razor to reduce the teenager’s hair down to the length of a very short crew-cut.
As her hair disappeared there were a few tears from Hope herself and her mum, Phillipa Beech, who was watching from just a few feet away with her two younger children, four-year-old Jay and Scott, two.
Then, in just 13 minutes, Hope’s ordeal was over, the last fallen lock bringing a huge cheer and loud applause from the watching throng.
Hope said: “I was a bit nervous just before the cut was done but I was also very excited about how it would go.
“The two girls from the salon were very good and did it all without any fuss.
“It feels pretty strange running my hand over my head and just feeling bristles but I’m sure I’ll soon get used to it. However, I can’t wait until it grows back!”
She added: “Although I was only six years old when he died I loved my Dad very much and a few months ago I decided to raise money for cancer charities in his memory.
“I don’t really know where the head shave idea came from – I just woke up one morning and thought I wanted to do it.
“I got the idea of sending my hair to the Little Princesses Trust after reading on their website how it would be used to make a wig for a little girl with cancer. I know Jessie J sent her hair there too, so that’s good.
“I’m very grateful to the girls at Gozo Men salon for agreeing to cut my hair because it was nice to have an expert doing it rather than someone who just hacked it off.”
Hope’s mum, Phillipa, said: “I had a little cry when I saw her hair coming off because I know how much pride she took in it.
“I’m so proud that she has done this in memory of Peter and that she is sending her hair to the Little Princess charity. I now just want to give her a big hug.
“I’ve already bought Hope quite a few wigs because I know that until her hair grows back there will be occasions when she won’t want to be seen with really short hair.
“I’ve got her two blonde ones, another in dark brown and even one is pink.”
Hope’s best friend, 14-year-old Dexie Clutton, who was also watching as Gozo’s cutting crew got to work on her, said: “It was all very emotional and I felt every snip as her hair came off.
“It’s a very brave thing Hope’s done and I know I’d never have been able to go through it myself.”
Wiping the remains of Hope’s hair from her clippers, salon manager Katie Hughes said: “I couldn’t believe she wanted it all chopped off but we just went ahead and did it as sympathetically as we could.
“She did shed a little tear at one stage and I almost cried myself when I saw that. But she’s very brave and has raised quite a bit for two really good causes.”
Salon boss Sharon Hughes said: “We do a lot for various charities here at Gozo Men, so we were delighted to help Hope with the cut and shave.
“We’ve actually never done anything like this for a girl before but our men customers get this sort of very short cut all the time.
“It’s been a brilliant day and I’m glad so many of Hope’s family and friends came along to watch her go through it. At one stage the salon was full and we couldn’t get anyone else in.”
This was the most high profile of a series of fundraising events Hope and her friends are masterminding in her quest to back Macmillan.
For the past few months she’s been taking her collecting bucket around local fetes and shows and just recently she raised £200 during a fun day held at Cefn Druids FC’s ground near her home.
Next up is a psychic night at the Cefn Druids ground on September 29, with tickets at £6 each.
Eagles Meadow Manager Kevin Critchley said: “I am full of admiration for Hope for sacrificing her locks but was in aid of a very worthy cause.”
Hope’s charity page is at http://www.justgiving.com/hope-beech
