Real bad hair day (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Real bad hair day

4:50pm Friday 12th March 2010 in

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HAIR-RAISING – or losing – locks were the height of fashion as people around the Basingstoke area helped pull in vital funds for St Michael’s Hospice.

The annual Bad Hair Day saw people at schools, businesses and hospice shops whipping on wacky wigs, backcombing barnets or opting for brightly-coloured hair.

But Sarah Parnell, from Old Basing, sported the most daring hairdo of the day. The 38-year-old mum had her hair shaved off at The English Rose Hair and Beauty Salon, Worting House.

She said: “I did it partly as a show of support for a friend who has lost her hair through chemotherapy and also because I had two granddads who used the hospice.”

In front of a 30-strong crowd she waved goodbye to her locks and said hello to her new shaven look.

She said: “This was the first time I have had it done and the last – it is great in the morning but you do feel the cold.”

But she said it was well worth it because she raised £1,500 in sponsorship towards a total of more than £5,000 that was raised during the day of follicle frolics.

Had you dropped round to the Cats Whiskers hair salon, in Brighton Hill Parade, you could have been the guest of honour at their Mad Hatter’s tea party.

Staff were dressed as characters from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, offering lashings of tea and plenty of cakes and jammy dodgers. They raised more than a £100 with a raffle.

Salon manager Jane Roberts said: “It was absolutely brilliant and exhausting but we enjoyed raising money for such a good cause.”

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring St Michael’s Hospice shop, volunteers had morphed into “bad fairies” complete with multi-coloured wigs, raising £30 towards the total.

Also taking part were The Way Inn Pub in Basingstoke, Sainsbury’s in Tadley, Winklebury Infant School, Great Binfields School, in Chineham, St Mary’s Church of England Junior School, in Old Basing, Cliddesden Primary School, South View Junior School, and The Hurst Community College in Baughurst.

Hospice community fundraiser Sarah Evans said: “We were really pleased with the response. Without people taking part in campaigns like this, the hospice would not be able to raise the money it needs.” The hospice, in Aldermaston Road, Basingstoke, receives less than 30 per cent of funding from the NHS and has to find £1.8million through donations and fundraising.