When it came to getting a hair cut, some of us needed one more than most.

And one teenager – former Dartford Grammar School student Mason Mote – decided to help a good cause when he finally had his mop lopped.

The 19-year-old missed his "before you go to university" haircut and having returned home to Greenhithe in May, the lockdown meant a quick trim was out of the question.

By July, his bouffant bonce had got a little out of control. So when the hair cutting ban was lifted, he decided to take the opportunity to both cut his curls and help raise funds for charity.

With the help of family friend and hairdresser Sam Geear, and a social media sponsorship campaign, Mason had his mass of curls removed and raised more than £1,000 for children's charity We Are Beams.

Currently breaking in his new look, which now also includes wearing hats, Mason said: "I decided the time had come to have my hair cut and I really wanted to take the opportunity to help raise funds for a local charity.

"My family has links with We Are Beams so the choice was easy. I had hoped to raise £150, so breaking the £1,000 barrier was amazing."

We Are Beams is based in Hextable and supports disabled children, young people and their families across Dartford, Gravesham, Sevenoaks and the surrounding areas.

The disabled children and young people who access the services will typically have one or more learning difficulty, complex health needs, physical or sensory impairment, challenging behaviour, Autism or severe ADHD.

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