AN 11-year-old from High Wycombe raised over £1500 after he had his hair cut for the very first time in his life for charity.

Rahim Woods had his 3ft locks chopped in a public at the Eden Centre last Saturday, trying to raise as much money as possible for the Thomas Ball cancer charity.

With Rahim about to embark on the next stage in his life at secondary school in September, he decided it was time to have the long awaited chop and in doing so raise funds for the cause, which relieves sickness and distress among children suffering from cancer, usually in the form of medical equipment, holidays, special gifts and research.

Rahim’s mother, Natalie Woods said: “We are so super proud of him. At first he was a bit teary as the cut was a bit of a shock, but he held it together and he is very happy with it.

“His long hair was a big part of him. He had been growing it since he was born. He was absolutely so excited and so happy when the donations started coming in.”

Due to the generosity of those who have sponsored his hair cut, he smashed his initial target and has now generated £1545, plus gift aid.

Elaine Ball from The Thomas Ball Children’s Cancer Fund, said: "We feel incredibly fortunate that the family have chosen to support our charity. It's a lovely thing to do and should raise much awareness of childhood cancer. It’s a wonderful thing to do and we are very grateful.”

Rahim has also donated his long locks to The Little Princess charity, a cause that provides real hair wigs to children across the UK and Ireland that have sadly lost their own hair through cancer treatment.