Northampton woman chops off 14-inches of hair to raise funds for charity after Nan left with limited sight

A local woman has braved the ‘big chop’ to raise money for a sight loss charity after her Nan was diagnosed with a disease that left her with limited sight.

Jo Scott, from Northampton, had been growing her hair for two years when she chopped off 14-inches, which will be donated to The Little Princess Trust - a charity that makes real hair wigs for children who have lost their hair.

While completing the challenge, Jo thought it was a good opportunity to raise money for a charity close to her heart as well.

So far she has raised more than £1,000 for The Macular Society after her employer pledged to double whatever she raises, which will help to fund vital research into the sight loss disease.

Jo said: “I’d been aware of The Little Princess Trust for some time – my sister-in-law and a few friends have all donated hair to them over the years.

“You have to be able to grow it to a pretty substantial length to be able to donate anything, so it was really a case of waiting this long to ensure I had enough to give them.

“As I was donating my hair anyway, I thought I could compliment it by raising some money for the Macular Society again at the same time.

“There were a few deep breaths when the time did come to have the hair cut – it was definitely a case of having to pull my big-girl pants up.

“But, as lots of people have reminded me, it’s only hair and it will grow back.”

The ‘big chop’ is not the first time Jo has raised money for Macular Society, as she completed a fire walk back in 2017.

Jo first got involved with the charity after her Nan was diagnosed with the disease in 2011 and was left with severely limited sight.

The 39-year-old added: “Sadly, Nan’s condition wasn’t diagnosed early enough, so the best of her sight has gone and there’s very little else that can be done for her.”

“When I’ve talked about the challenge to people and explained Nan’s story, I think the fact that she’s never been able to see my children, who are five and two, really resonated with people and made them want to donate, and I’m so grateful that they’ve given so generously.”

Susie McCallum, Macular Society community and events fundraising manager, said: “Although the coronavirus has had a tremendous impact on day-to-day life all over the world, it doesn’t alter that fact that vital research is still urgently needed to find a cure for macular disease.

“The only way to beat this cruel and isolating condition is by funding as much scientific research as we can to eradicate it once and for all.

“Jo’s latest fundraising efforts for us really will make a huge difference in the ongoing fight against macular disease and we can’t thank her enough for her support.”

To donate to Jo’s challenge, visit her GoFundMe page.

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