More than £1,000 was raised by hairdressers who put down their scissors to sell some cupcakes.

JM Hairdressing in Dover Road East, Northfeet, and Top Notch in High Street, Gravesend, played their part in Hairdressers Helping Hairdressers Day.

The nationwide campaign is run by the Hair and Beauty Benevolent charity (HABB) dedicated to helping professionals in the industry who face challenging times and need to take time away from work.

Katie Barnes, 48, of Bonham Way, Northfleet, became aware that something was wrong in April 2012 when she began to lose hearing in one ear.

The hairdresser of more than 20 years later discovered she had a rare growth on her brain, an illness that meant she had to give up work for good.

The mother-of-one discovered she was a beneficiary of the HABB charity, which she is now committed to raising funds for.

Katie said: “It was so much fun. All the girls dressed up in pink and purple and there were balloons put up everywhere.”

She joined JM Hairdressing on the day – the very same salon where she spent two decades – to sell cakes, read tarot cards and even dye her own hair pink.

“It is charities like these that help normal people like me live a normal life again”- Katie Barnes

The fun day soon turned into a whole weekend of fundraising with a raffle and a cupcake sale.

Staff invented their own game to guess how many perm curlers were in the jar and played highest bidder on some handmade chocolate cakes which sold for £25 each.

Katie is adapting to life with the tumour, which although hasn’t grown, is the same size as when she was first diagnosed and is now stable and benign.

The ladies are now planning a pamper evening to help the fundraising journey continue.