Dereham two-year-old Macaulay gets his hair chopped for charity

Wendy Barker's two year-old son Macaulay is having his hair cut, raising funds for Clic Sargent. Picture: Ian Burt

But when two-year-old Macaulay Burden is a little bit older he will realise that it was all for a good cause.

The Dereham youngster's first haircut has already raised over £500 for children's cancer charity Clic Sargent, and the money is still rolling in.

The idea for the charity cut was down to his mum Wendy Barker who felt she had to do something after Macaulay lost both his grandmothers to cancer in a few short months.

They had both loved his curls and she vowed not to get it cut while they were alive.

Macaulay Burden had his hair cut for the first time, raising money for Clic Sargent. Also pictured is stylist Sarah Hunter. Picture: Ian Burt

But after losing first her mother-in-law and then her mother to the disease Ms Barker felt the time was right and as his hair had grown a good seven or eight inches down his back it could be put to good use.

While the sponsorship money is going to Clic Sargent the hair itself will be donated to The Little Princess Trust, which makes real hair wigs for children who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment.

'He's not liking it one bit,' said Ms Barker, as two bunches of curls were snipped away.

'I can't believe how different he looks. He looks like a proper little boy. He looks fantastic.'

She said she would have loved to have kept the hair but felt the cause was so worthy that she would be sending it off to the charity.

'Clic Sargent have been great, sending me t-shirts and balloons and a banner for the big cut,' she added.

Stylist Sarah Hunter, who works at Stylistix in Toftwood, said she was used to cutting fidgety children's hair but it was unusual to have such long hair for a first cut.

* To donate to the haircut go online to www.justgiving.com/wendy-barker5.

* Are you raising money for charity? Email kathryn.cross@archant.co.uk.