A Hays Travel Branch Manager has shaved her head to help raise more than £3,000 for charity.

Sally Hurley, who works at our Hemel Hempstead store, was diagnosed with the rare skin condition pityriasis rubra pilaris last October.

The condition is so rare that there are only 297 known cases in the UK.

One of the main symptoms is hair loss, which Sally has been experiencing.

The symptoms can be so debilitating that 68 per cent of people require mental health support.

So in an act of incredible bravery, Sally decided to shave her head and raise money for the mental health charity, Mind.

The event, which took place at Hays Travel in The Marlowes Centre and was live streamed on Facebook, raised a whopping £3,204 – 320 per cent more than the original target.

The Hays Travel team organised a fantastic day of fundraising; inviting loved ones, loyal customers and the local community to take part in the fun and witness Sally’s courageous act.

Sally said: “Because the condition is so rare there hasn’t been much research and it can be quite debilitating for people.

“Mental health support is so important, so I thought what better way to get rid of the hair I was losing anyway and raise money for Mind at the same time.

“My team have been so incredibly supportive – they’ve been there for me, especially on my bad days when I could have hit rock bottom. Coming into work every day has been a great way to keep my mind off things.”

Mind supporter relations co-ordinator, Leon Bruff, added: “We wanted to say a massive thank you to you and everyone at Hays Travel (Hemel Hempstead) for supporting Mind.

“Your support means we can reach more people every day. Nobody should face a mental health problem alone, and it's because of kind donations like yours that Mind can be here for everyone who needs support.”

Each Hays Travel branch is provided with a £500 budget to use for fundraising and charity work in their local area; £200 of this is to be used to fundraise for charities which support young people’s mental health, and the other £300 can be used for charities chosen by the branch.

In the last year, Hays Travel’s Local Community Partnership initiative across its retail network has donated over £177,000 to local charities.