HOOK woman Natalie Dancer is fundraising for cancer – by having her hairshaved off.

She aims to raise £500, taking part in the ‘Brave the Shave’ campaign for Macmillan Cancer Support. A close friend, who is a hairdresser, has volunteered to perform the hair-raising stunt next month at the local pub, the Old White Hart.

Pub staff want to hold the shave in the early evening when trade is brisk. Sponsorship forms will be dotted around the bar.

First to go will be her ponytail. She is donating it to Little Princess Trust.

The trust supports children with cancer and makes wigs for those who have lost their hair during treatment. It has given away more than 4,000 free wigs made of real hair since it started in 2006.

Natalie is motivated to help by the suffering of her grandfather, who died of cancer in 2009. And one of her closest friends lost her mum to cancer as well.

Natalie herself suffers from a form of alopecia and had to wear a wig in the past, because of partial hair loss:

“I’ve been among people who have suffered from hair loss through chemotherapy and there is a stigma behind it. People gawping in the street, asking ‘what is that on her head?’ or ‘is that a wig?’

“I thought to myself; you know what, I’m going to be one of the people who face this stigma and I’m going to help fight it.”

To help Natalie and find out more about her Brave the Shave campaign, visit bravetheshave.org.uk/shavers/natalie-dancer.