Northumberland student shaves head for LGBTQ+ charity

Ava Tibbitts, 15, underwent the trim after long consideration in support of a Transgender youth charity named Mermaids.

Ava had wanted to do it for a long time but “settled her mind” on the idea by deciding to simultaneously raise money for the charity.

The initial fundraising aim was £350, however, Ava has raised a staggering £500.

The charity is dedicated to helping young LGBTQ+ individuals through their gender transitioning process as well as providing resources for mental health support for LGBTQ+ children that may be suffering from physical or emotional distress.

And with Ava identifying as non-binary, meaning they do not identify as either female or male, Ava was able to relate to the cause on a personal level.

Mermaids describes itself as one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ charities.

Ava, a student at James Calvert Spence College, said: “I’ve been sorta on and off saying I’m gonna do it for over a year now but I never really thought that I was serious, I didn’t believe I would actually do it.”

"At first it was a bit like ‘hmm are you really? That’s a bit silly’ but I’m a stubborn person so once I said that this was gonna happen it was gonna happen.”

They added: “Everyone’s been really supportive, nothing but support.

"They’ve been complimenting me, saying how well I’m doing and I’m really grateful for it. It’s important to have that support.”

If you wish to donate to Ava visit her JustGiving page at https://justgiving.com/fundraising/ava-tibbitts.

For more info on the Mermaids charity, visit https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/about-us/.