Bermudian Nick Lewis is to exchange his long flowing locks for a skinhead as he prepares to take part in St Baldrick’s on March 17.

The probation officer wanted to help raise funds for the child cancer charity in honour of family members and to empathise with parents of children struck by cancer.

Mr Lewis, a father-of-one, began growing his hair out about two years ago and now it stretches half way down his back. Then, last year, he was inspired by a friend who participated in a charity event to support children with Type 1 diabetes.

Mr Lewis told The Royal Gazette: “I have family members who have been affected by cancer — none through childhood cancer but two aunts. One passed away and the other is a survivor with a double mastectomy.

“I think this is a great cause. I have a young child of my own — he is ten months now. This is a show of support for those parents who have to see their children going through this and to help the children. I thought this year my hair was a good length to do it.”

Mr Lewis said his wife had been giving him tips on how to look after his long hair which had given him a new perspective.

“I always had fairly short hair a pretty close crop — now it is down to the middle of my back. You slowly get used to it. My wife has been giving me lots of tips like ‘use this conditioner’ or ‘be careful using this stuff’. You learn a lot about hair. You hear women say ‘I can’t come out, I am washing my hair’. I now know what that actually means — it takes some getting used to.”

Mr Lewis is set to take to the barber’s chair this Friday and is still hoping to raise more funds. He has raised just over a thousand dollars so far and hopes to double that amount before the chop.

The fundraising event takes place at Docksiders at around 5.30pm.

Working closely with leading paediatric oncologists, St Baldrick’s, according to its website, “determines the most promising research to fund and create funding priorities to make the greatest impact for children with cancer”.

Funds raised enable hospitals to open high impact clinical trials for rare disease types, it allows researchers to work together, helps train the next generation of researchers and offers supportive care research to improve the quality of life for patients and survivors.

• Anyone interested in donating to St Baldrick’s via Mr Lewis’s efforts can do so by visiting: https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/878450/2017. The general website can be found at: www.stbaldricks.org