IT IS the one day of the year where wacky hair styles are the norm across Basingstoke and Deane.

The annual Mad Hair Day event is one of the big dates on the St Michael’s Hospice fundraising calender, which helps raise thousands of pounds of much needed funds for the continual running of the hospice, in Aldermaston Road.

With local schools, hairdressers and residents of the hospice all getting involved in the fun on February 10, the campaign has already collected more than £6,000, with some donations still coming in.

Community campaigns coordinator, Lynne Grimshaw, at the hospice said the whole day is just a fun and easy way to help support the hospice.

She said: “Mad Hair Day has now become a big part of many school calendars, they always look forward to my phone call.

“Each year we saw more creative hair styles and everyone who gets involved from the hairdressers to the children always seem to have great fun getting involved.”

One of the highlights of the day was when the hospice’s corporate and legacies manager Jackie Ridge, decided to take a four-hour crash course in hairdressing, before two of the charity’s directors acted as willing volunteers taking the chop.

She said: “I’m one of these people who is up for giving anything a go, but I didn’t realise how much there was to take in.

“I was really nervous before doing the cut and I had my hands covered in plasters where I had cut myself so many times practising.

“It was great fun through.”

To help with any of the hospice’s future fund raising events visit stmichaelshospice.org.uk.