Making the cut for good causes

A squadron leader's daughter from Ruskington is hoping the sky's the limit as she attempts to raise as much cash as possible for charity through a sponsored head shave.

Alice Davies, 20, will part with her locks on March 29 at the Envvy salon, in Sleaford, in support of Blind Veterans UK and St Gemma’s Hospice.

Alice’s father has been in the Royal Air Force since before she was born. He is now asquadron leader and has served in former Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As such, she has strong feelings about supporting a military charity.

She said: “I feel it’s important to give back to the veterans who have served our country.”

Later this year, she will prove this again by taking part in a sponsored 100km walk across Yorkshire and the Peak District, again in support Blind Veterans UK.

The Blind Veterans UK 100k Yorkshire challenge will mean walking through the night to complete the distance in 24 hours.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Alice is currently studying at the University of Leeds to become a nurse and as part of her studies she had an eight-week placement at the end of her first year with St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds.

There she worked alongside nurses caring for the patients on one of the wards.

Alice said: “I think both charities fit well together and are incredibly important.

“They both focus on care and support, Blind Veterans UK for our ex-servicemen and women and St Gemma’s Hospice for those facing terminal illness.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Blind Veterans UK was founded in 1915 and the charity’s initial purpose was to help and support soldiers blinded in the First World War.

The organisation has gone on to support more than 35,000 blind veterans, and their families, of conflicts from the Second World War to recent events including Iraq and Afghanistan.

For more than a century, the charity has been providing free training, rehabilitation, equipment and emotional support to blind and vision-impaired veterans no matter when they served or how they lost their sight.

St Gemma’s Hospice, meanwhile, is the largest hospice in Yorkshire and one of the largest in the UK with 32 inpatient beds, a day centre and a community service.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

To support Alice as she shaves her head for Blind Veterans UK and St Gemma’s Hospice, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AliceDavies

Visit blindveterans.org.uk/support to learn more about the charity and how you can support its work.

For more on St Gemma’s Hospice, visit www.st-gem ma.co.uk