Six-year-old Rosie raises £445 for children’s hospice with first haircut

Six-year-old Rosie Mace raised an astonishing £445 for Chestnut Tree House this summer when she had her very first haircut.

Rosie, from East Grinstead, had been growing her hair since she was a toddler, after seeing both her sister and father cut their own hair for charity.

Rosie’s mother, Desi, says: “I kept asking her if she wanted to get it cut and she kept saying no. Then, when I asked if she wanted to cut it for charity, she said she’d cut it when it was long enough.” By this summer, Rosie’s hair reached well below her waist. “She thought it was time,” says Desi.

Having already decided to donate her hair to Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children undergoing treatment for cancer and other conditions, Rosie wanted another children’s charity to benefit from her fundraising. “She wanted the money to go to a hospital or hospice, and she chose Chestnut Tree House, because it was nearby, and it might help children we know.”

After setting an initial fundraising target of £200, Rosie was delighted to raise more than double that amount for Chestnut Tree House, which supports children in East Sussex, West Sussex and South East Hampshire. “I told her that because of her donation, the children might get the opportunity to do activities that they wouldn’t normally get to do. She was quite chuffed,” says Desi.

“On the day, she was nervous and a bit tearful when the hair started to come off. But by the afternoon she was absolutely fine and swishing her hair around. She’s definitely happy that we’re no longer pulling out knots every morning!

“We’re so proud of her,” says Desi, “and we’d like to thank everyone who sponsored her. She is already talking about what she can do next to raise money for charity!”