Reilly's hair now reaches below his bottom
Reilly’s hair now reaches below his bottom (Picture: PA)

A nine-year-old who has never had his hair cut is planning to have it all chopped off to help children with cancer.

Reilly Stancombe, of Little Clacton in Essex, has just kept growing his locks and they now reach past his bottom.

But now he will donate it all to The Little Princess Trust, which provides free real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatments or other conditions. He also has raised almost £800 for the charity in sponsorship.

His mum Daisy Canny, 30, said people know her son as ‘Reilly with the long hair’ and it’s now part of his identity.

‘It started off when he was younger, he never really had it cut and it was sort of just shoulder length,’ care worker Daisy said.

Undated family handout photo issued by Daisy Canny of her son Reilly Stancombe. The nine-year-old boy who was inspired to grow his hair long by footballer Gareth Bale ??? and has never had a haircut before ??? will have his long locks chopped off for charity. PA Photo. Issue date: Tuesday August 4, 2020. Reilly, of Little Clacton in Essex, will donate his hair to The Little Princess Trust, which provides free real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatments or other conditions. See PA story SOCIAL Hair. Photo credit should read: Family Handout/Daisy Canny/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Reiley has never had a hair cut (Picture: PA)

‘Then he got into football and he was a little bit inspired by Gareth Bale if I’m honest, with the long hair.

‘But then it just grew and grew and he was talking about having a little bit of the ends off just to keep it nice, and he’s never had it cut.

‘It’s now really really long.’

He was inspired to donate during a visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he goes for appointments because he was born with a bowel condition.

Undated family handout photo issued by Daisy Canny of her son Reilly Stancombe with his younger brother Roman Stancombe, four. The nine-year-old boy who was inspired to grow his hair long by footballer Gareth Bale ??? and has never had a haircut before ??? will have his long locks chopped off for charity. PA Photo. Issue date: Tuesday August 4, 2020. Reilly, of Little Clacton in Essex, will donate his hair to The Little Princess Trust, which provides free real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatments or other conditions. See PA story SOCIAL Hair. Photo credit should read: Family Handout/Daisy Canny/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Reilly with his younger brother Roman, four (Picture: PA)

He saw other poorly children who had lost their hair and thought about how he could help.

He finally made the decision to go for the chop when his little brother Roman, four, got a trim after lockdown.

‘Roman’s hair grew in lockdown and he styled it into curtains,’ she said.

‘Reilly just really liked the style. He just woke up one day and said “I think that’s what I want to do mum”.

‘I think he’s nervous but he feels he’s doing it for a good cause.’

Reilly added: ‘People do get picked on and it’s really sad when people have no hair and I feel like I want to give back and make people’s life way happier.’

He is getting his hair cut at a barbers in Clacton-on-Sea on August 18.

You can donate to Reilly’s fundraising on his GoFundMe page.

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