A TEAM of women from Whitchurch have 'braved the shave' and raised a substantial sum of money for charity in memory of one of their good friends.

Michelle Whitaker, Nic Field, Hayley Burns and Kerry Davies all volunteered to sacrifice their hair in honour of their friend Clare Ashley, who died last month after a battle with cancer.

The head shave was undertaken at a packed White Bear in High Street, with a special marquee constructed outside to hold the event.

A raffle held on the night, as well as other fundraising efforts meant that around £17,000 has been raised so far, with around £5,500 raised on the night itself.

The money raised will go the the Severn Hospice and the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, who cared for Clare during her last days.

Various Whitchurch-based businesses also contributed to the fundraiser, via physical cash donations or by providing supplies on the night.

Gail Hodgson, one of Clare's friends and a member of 'Team Clare' expressed her delight at how the night went and the amount of money raised.

"The night was a tremendous success,2 said Gail. "We raised approximately £5,500 on the evening and with sponsorship and donations already received for the Severn Hospice and Lingen Davies Cancer Fund we should hit £17,000.

"It seemed like the whole of Whitchurch came out to support this fabulous event in memory of our dear friend Clare.

"We are just blown away by the generosity of everyone who has donated and the support we have received from local businesses.

"Derek, Kerry and Olivia can not express in words what this means to them but want to thank everyone from the bottom of their hearts."

The funeral for Clare will be held on Thursday, December 5 at St Alkmund's Church.