A NINE-YEAR-OLD boy who was teased by his school friends for his long hair has helped a charity which makes wigs for children with cancer – and then raised nearly £400 for his school’s playground.

Oliver Shepherd, a pupil at Great Marsden St John’s in Nelson and avid footballer, started to grow his hair at the start of the pandemic but was teased when he went back to school.

After his mother told him about the Little Princess Trust, Oliver decided to keep growing his hair which was cut off on Saturday, after growing to 11 inches, and donated to the trust.

Little Princess Trust is a charity where people donate their hair for wigs for children who have lost their hair to cancer or illness.

After the initial trimming of the long locks, Oliver went to the barber's the next day for a to get a proper sharp-looking cut.

Oliver’s mother Wendy Shepherd said: “It’s been really difficult, but he just wanted to persevere and do something good.

“I love his hair short or long. I do miss his long hair.

“He is like a new child; he has a swagger about him as he knows he has done something good.

“We are all so proud of him.”

Alongside donating his hair, Oliver decided to fundraise for cash to resurface his school’s playground.

The JustGiving page has raised £373 while the family have more cash donations at home.

You can contribute to his JustGiving page here https://bit.ly/3uYAdyj