Hairdressing student launches heartfelt charity campaign
A Hairdressing student at East Sussex College’s Hastings campus is turning personal experience into a powerful community fundraiser, with a month-long campaign to support families facing difficult times.
Natalie Little, who is studying Level 2 Hairdressing, is organising “Cuts for a Cause” in aid of Ronald McDonald House Charities - a charity that supported her own family during a challenging period.
The fundraiser is inspired by Natalie’s daughter Esmé, who faced serious health challenges as a newborn.
From idea to action
The idea for “Cuts for a Cause” grew out of Natalie’s desire to give back to the charity that helped her family.
“After everything we went through as a family, I really wanted to find a way to give something back to the charity that supported us. Since I’m studying hairdressing at East Sussex College, organising a charity hair event felt like the perfect way to combine what I’m learning with raising money for a cause that means so much to me.”
The fundraiser will take place throughout May 2026 at the Plaza Hair Salon. Students will offer wash, cut, and blow-dry services, with all proceeds going to the charity. A raffle will also be held to raise additional funds.
Natalie explained why the cause is so important to her: “This charity is very close to my heart as they supported my family during my daughter Esmé’s hospital stays after she was born with Hirschsprung’s disease. Being able to stay close to her during that time meant everything to us.”
Esmé’s early hospital journey
Esmé spent the first five weeks of her life in hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries and treatments.
Natalie described the experience: “When she was just five days old she had surgery to have a stoma fitted. At around three weeks old she was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease after a biopsy confirmed it. When she was eight months old she had her pull-through surgery, which was an 11-hour operation where 13cm of her intestine was removed. We had to travel to Southampton Hospital for that surgery. Then at ten months old she had another surgery to close her stoma, which was a four-hour operation in Brighton. After that she had weekly dilation treatments until she was about 18 months old, which also meant regular trips to Brighton.”
The travel alone added to the stress for the family, with regular trips to hospitals two to three and a half hours away. Even now, Esmé still needs hospital care when she becomes unwell.
“Being able to stay close to Esmé made such a huge difference to us. Ronald McDonald House gave us somewhere to stay close to the hospital so we didn’t have to worry about travelling long distances every day or being far away if something happened. With the amount of travelling we were already doing for her care, having somewhere nearby really helped take some of the pressure off during a very stressful time. It allowed us to focus on being there for Esmé and supporting each other as a family.”
Despite all the challenges, today Esmé is thriving.
“She’s doing really well now and we’re incredibly proud of her. She’s been through so much from such a young age and has shown so much strength. Like many children with Hirschsprung’s disease, there can still be challenges and hospital visits along the way, but she has come such a long way.”
Raising awareness
Natalie hopes the campaign will also help educate people about Hirschsprung’s disease, which many people have never heard of until it affects their family.
“Hirschsprung’s disease is a rare condition that affects the bowel. It happens when part of the intestine doesn’t have the nerves needed to move waste through the body properly, which can cause blockages and serious complications. Because of this, the affected section of bowel has to be removed through surgery so the bowel can work more normally. But even though surgery removes the diseased part, Hirschsprung’s disease is something that stays with you for life. Many children and families still deal with ongoing challenges such as bowel management, infections, diet changes and regular hospital visits.
“It can have an impact on everyday life as children grow up, which is something many people don’t realise. It’s also quite a rare condition, and a lot of people have never heard of it until it affects their child or someone they know. That’s one of the reasons I really want to help raise awareness as well as raise money for families going through similar experiences.”
Community support
What began as a college-based initiative has expanded into a wider community campaign, with local media helping to boost awareness.
“The mini fundraiser has also grown into something bigger as Ashdown Radio has joined in to support the cause. They will be running a 27-hour live broadcast, an on-air charity auction, and a sponsored cyclathon challenge to help raise funds and awareness,” Natalie said.
Natalie is extremely grateful for the support she’s received from the college, local businesses, and the wider community so far, and continues to encourage others to join in and donate.
“It’s honestly been amazing. What started as a small idea has grown into something much bigger than I expected. The college has been really supportive, and seeing local businesses, the community, and Ashdown Radio get involved has been incredible. It’s been really special seeing people come together to support both the charity and families who have been through similar experiences.”
“I’d really love people to understand how important charities like Ronald McDonald House Charities are for families who have children in hospital. Having somewhere to stay close to your child during such a difficult time can make a huge difference. If our fundraiser can raise awareness and help support even a few families in the future, then it will mean so much to us.”
To support Natalie’s fundraising, book a hair appointment at the college in May by calling 030 300 39399 or donate online: https://rmhc.org.uk/donate/.