Fine cuts for forces charity

2:36pm Monday 28th January 2008

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ALMOST two dozen trainee barbers and hairdressers from Basingstoke College of Technology who travelled to a military base on Salisbury Plain raised more than £500 for a forces charity when they undertook more than 100 haircuts.

The soldiers had all volunteered to have their hair cut for £5 after the Christmas break - meaning their would be none of the traditional shouts of Get your hair cut, you orrible little man!' at 32 Regiment Royal Artillery in Larkhill for a while at least.

The event was organised by the regiment and the hair, holistic and beauty therapy department at Basingstoke College of Technology.

The students who are in training for their NVQ Level 2 or B Tech National qualifications clipped, cut, styled and shaved the soldiers' hair for the contribution to the Help for Heroes charity.

Sergeant Major Darren Auty, one of the organisers, said: "We do a lot for Help for Heroes especially as one of our ex-warrant officers, WO2 Andy Stockton, lost one of his arms in Afghanistan a couple of years ago."

The 32 Regiment is the British Army's only tactical unmanned air vehicle regiment and a number of the gunners from 18 (Quebec) Battery having their hair cut were in their desert combats ready to depart for Iraq or Afghanistan.

Help for Heroes is a new charity that has been formed to help servicemen and women who have been wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is currently working towards raising money to construct a swimming pool complex at Headley Court, the Defence Medical Rehabili-tation Centre.