A TEACHER from Okehampton College is set to have her ‘mop chopped’ for a mental health service that helps the young people of the town.

Sarah McLintock, a science teacher at the school, is aiming to raise up to £50,000 for Tor Support Services (TSS) by cutting her long locks in the end of term assembly.

Donations received will determine how much hair is cut off — and students and staff will have the chance to take part in a raffle to have the ‘honour’ of making the final cut.

For the first £1400 raised, Sarah will get 14ins cut, one-inch per £100 — and if she raises the whopping £50,000 she will get a grade 4 cut.

Miss McLintock said: ‘As a teacher I see first hand how the lack of funding for mental health is affecting our young people, Tor Support are an invaluable service.

‘My hair is a massive part of my identity and cutting it all off is a big deal for me and my own mental health, but worth it for the cause.

‘I would really love to meet the enormous target I have set, but at the same time I’m terrified and know that this is a big ask. If I reach the hair-raising £50,000 I will go the whole hog and get a grade 4 all over.

‘If every person with a link to the college and those who use the service donated just £5, we would raise enough to provide additional counselling services.’

The more money raised, the shorter the cut — with a hope of cutting enough hair to donate to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes wigs for young people who have lost their hair through treatment for cancer and other illnesses.

Dr Kathryn Vile, chair of Tor Support Services, said: ‘We wish Sarah the very best with her fundraising and haircutting! It is very generous, and very brave, of her to do this for Tor Support.

‘We are a small local charity that has been providing counselling to children and young people in Okehampton and the surrounding hamlets for almost a decade.

‘Sarah, as a teacher at Okehampton College, is only too aware of the range of the issues our young clients face, from domestic violence, bereavement, sexual and physical abuse to obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), bullying, self-harming, stress and anxiety. We are seeing growing demand for our service and will increase the number of counselling sessions we offer this year which is why this fundraising effort from Sarah is so very welcome.’

If anyone would like to donate, visit Miss McLintock’s JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/missmclintocksmop