This is Staffordshire --INTREPID hairdressers have raised £4,000 towards a new minibus for children with learning difficulties after climbing a mountain.
Staff from John Belfield Salon in Hartshill made their way up Mount Snowdon to raise cash for the Merryfields Community Special School in Kidsgrove.
The group were inspired after meeting Olivia Dunn, aged 10, sister of John Belfield's first-year apprentice, Georgia Dunn, aged 16.
Olivia suffers from global developmental delay, a condition which means she is not developing as expected.
Georgia, who has worked at the salon part-time for 18 months, said: "Whenever Olivia comes in to have her hair cut she's always helping sweep up. John says she does a better job than I do.
"When the salon decided they wanted to raise some money for local causes they thought of the school. Olivia loves going to school so it's brilliant that John and the team selected them."
Merryfields supports children aged two to 11 with moderate to severe learning difficulties.
Salon staff started their fund-raising challenge in October, holding cake sales, Christmas present collections and collections of clothes for other charities including the Salvation Army and Elizabeth Trust.
But they set themselves a target of raising £4,000 towards the cost of a new minibus – fitted with a wheelchair ramp and specialist equipment – for the Merryfields school by summer.
Salon owner, John Belfield, who also took part in a sponsored 500m swim in Cumbria's Coniston Lake for the cause, said: "We've always been very involved in supporting local causes but we decided to start really going for it by holding different events to raise cash for charity – we got a bit addicted really.
"And after visiting the school I was really keen to help them get a new minibus for the kids.
"A lot of the donations have come from clients as well as friends. They've been wonderfully supportive and we're very grateful to them.
"It's been a team-building exercise for the staff here and I think everyone has enjoyed themselves. Seeing everyone at the top of Snowdon was a wonderful moment and I was chuffed to finish my swim."
The team of 12 from the salon climbed Snowdon on Sunday in about five hours.
Stylist Emily Obradovic said: "It was really tough, much harder than anyone expected,
"But everyone got to the top and although we were tempted to get the train back down, we all walked down the mountain together as well.
"The walk has brought us closer as a team and I'm really pleased we've raised so much money in a relatively short period of time."
Salon staff handed over a cheque to deputy headteacher Phil Petch and teaching assistants Francesca Meli and Kelly Amphlett yesterday.
Phil, who has worked at the school for three years, said: "We're in desperate need of a new minibus because the ones we had just aren't up to scratch.
"The bus allows us to take children out of the school into a real world to teach them important life skills. This cheque will go a long way to helping cover the cost. We are incredibly grateful to the salon." Reported by This is 4 days ago.