More than £600 raised by Stamshaw animal lover who shaved her head for animal rescue centre and Little Princess Trust

Teenage cat owner Elisha Straw has been ‘overwhelmed’ with support for her charity efforts, which saw her have her head shaved in a bid to support an animal rescue organisation.

Elisha, 17, donated her hair to the Little Princess Trust alongside raising more than £600 for the Cat and Rabbit Rescue Centre, where her two feline friends Avery and Payton were adopted from.

The head shave took place in her garden surrounded by family, friends and her boyfriend, who were all very supportive of her efforts.

Havant College student Elisha said: ‘My family and friends went to great lengths in order to make this day special and I couldn’t be more grateful to them.

‘I have been overwhelmed with the amount of love and support I have received both through friends and family and on social media.’

Nine plaits were chopped off to be posted to the Little Princess Trust, which provides wigs to children and young adults experiencing hair loss.

Elisha smashed her fundraising target of £200, gathering more than three times her goal amount thanks to the generosity of her supporters.

Elisha said: ‘I am really happy knowing that the money I have raised and the hair I have donated will be able to help two amazing charities.

‘It feels incredible to know that my small efforts will go a long way in supporting these two incredible charities.’

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The Cat and Rabbit Rescue Centre is a small charity in Sidlesham which finds homes for 1,000 animals each year.

Laura Crickmore, animal care admin officer, said: ‘Our fundraising has been affected greatly after not being able to have or attend any events but we are so thankful to have supporters who still donate to us in these virtual times.’

The organisation is running a fundraising campaign called Caellum’s Fund, fathering money towards crucial vet care for animals at the centre.

Rescue cat Caellum survived a road traffic accident thanks to emergency vet care, and after he died in 2019, the centre set up Caellum’s Fund to help more animals in need.

Visit gofund.me/89167540 to donate or go to crrc.co.uk for more.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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