Beauty queen sheds her locks for suicide charity
EX-MISS NEWCASTLE RAISED CASH IN MEMORY OF BEST PAL
MISS England and former Miss Newcastle Alisha Cowie lost her best friend Sarah to suicide five years ago.
Now, the brave teenager has become an ambassador for suicide prevention charity Papyrus to help others in her best friend’s memory.
Alisha, from Spennymoor, raised more than £250 for the charity for a sponsored haircut in Jesmond, Newcastle, on Wednesday afternoon.
The 19-year-old – who previously won a beautiful hair award before her Miss Newcastle and England successes – had more than 10 inches of her hair cut at Hooker & Young.
Papyrus will benefit from the money raised while the hair itself has been donated to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides wigs to children and young people battling cancer.
For Alisha, it was a gesture in honour of her best friend and a message to others struggling with mental health issues.
She said: “I’ve wanted to donate my hair for a while.
“Sarah passed away five years ago, and that’s why I chose this charity.
“People from our school [Whitworth Park Academy] raised money for them when it first happened.
“It’s not even about the money raised, it’s about raising awareness. A lot of people don’t know who Papyrus are or what they do.
“Raising the money is great but the awareness is more important, so people out there know there is help.”
Teesside University student Alisha took a break from her forensic and crime scene investigation course to chase her Miss World dreams.
The 19-year-old enjoyed a lifechanging experience at the finals in December in China, but is now determined to fundraise and support Papyrus before returning to her studies in September.
Alisha finished: “For me, it’s more about putting myself out there to let people like Sarah there are businesses and charities who they can talk to.
“It’s about getting that information out there.”