THIS criminology student is set to brave the shave - lopping-off his locks to raise money for an extremely important charity.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a global event that originated in the US and which is a time focused on educating communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence.
It’s something Liverpool Hope University takes seriously, as can be seen in the Students’ Union’s recent collaboration with the charity Tender, an organisation that supports young people to prevent domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Now Martin Grant is also hoping to highlight the issues by agreeing to shave his head once he reaches his fundraising target.
All donated money will go to Merseyside’s Rape & Sexual Abuse (RASA) Centre, aka ‘RASA’.
And Martin, 19, explains: “In recent months I’ve learned about the amazing work RASA does, and I want to spread the word while also raising money for the Centre.”
The student, from Portstewart in Northern Ireland, adds: “I’m quite attached to my hair and I pay close attention to the way that it looks, so this challenge is going to be quite tough for me.
“But it’s nothing compared to what victims of sexual assault go through and if shaving my hair helps others, then I’m more than happy to do it.”
You can support Martin and RASA via his GoFundMe page.
RASA provides emotional support for survivors of all forms of sexual violence, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, race or creed.
The charity says it does this through ‘assessing need and delivering a professional and appropriate support and recovery package, often in partnership or parallel with other services’.
The charity adds: “We believe without question. We listen without judgement. We provide advocacy services if you choose to report to the police and provide support whether the sexual violence is recent or long ago.”