HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW: Staff, residents, family and friends turned out to support Joyce Hodgson brave the shave for Macmillan Cancer Support at Lyons Court care home in Evenwood 	 TM pic
HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW: Staff, residents, family and friends turned out to support Joyce Hodgson brave the shave for Macmillan Cancer Support at Lyons Court care home in Evenwood TM pic

A CARE home cook has gone under the clippers and had her hair shaved off for charity.

Joyce Hodgson, who works at Lyon’s Court in Evenwood, braved the shave for Macmillan Cancer Support last week and has so far raised a total of £833.

The 56-year-old was inspired to sacrifice her long locks after seeing her stepdaughter, Kate, who is now 24, battle cancer. Thankfully, she is now cancer-free.

Ms Hodgson said: “My stepdaughter was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was 15. Her grandmother also had ovarian cancer. Other people I know have died of cancer. I was sat one day and I saw the advert for this on the TV and I said I want to do that.”

Ms Hodgson thanked everyone for their support and donations.

She said: “I have never been nervous about it. I was a bit emotional when I was getting it done. Now I feel over the moon that I have done it.”

Ms Hodgson’s 11-inch ponytail, which was cut off prior to the shave, will be donated to the Little Princess Trust. This charity uses donations like this to provide real hair wigs to children and young people up to the age of 24 who have sadly lost their hair due to cancer treatment and other illnesses.

Care home manager, Sarah Newton, said: “I think Joyce is amazing. She is really brave and she has done it for an amazing cause. She has done something that many of us would not dare do.”