The family of a young alopecia sufferer will be raising money to buy her a wig with a fun day at Falmouth Cricket Club.

Charlotte Atkin, from Falmouth, will be running the Georgia's Hair Raising Fun Day to help her niece Georgia Knowles, 11, blend in as she starts secondary school.

Charlotte hopes cash raised by the event will go some way towards the £2,500 cost of a custom built wig, to help boost Georgia's confidence and fit in with her class mates.

Linsey Knowles, Georgia's mother, said: “The main reason we pushed for this is becauspetrified of her walking down the corridor and somebody pulling off her wig, and Georgia losing all the confidence that we've built up so far.”

Georgia first started losing her hair when she was four, first she lost the top, then that grew back but the lower half of her head was affected, and now she has very little regrowth, with a fine layer of fluff covering her head.

Doctors have said they do not know the exact cause of what is happening, and Georgia said they believed it could be stress, although she doesn't think so, while Linsey said doctors believe her immune system could be rejecting the hair follicles.

The family had some help from charities to get Georgia's first wig, which is moulded to fit Georgia's head, and needs to be replaced every 18 months while she is growing.

Georgia said: “It made me feel a bit sad: left out when my friends do each others' hair, I can't do mine. Even with the wig I can't do it to the same extent.

“When I got my new wig I felt really excited and happy, and a bit more normal.”

Camborne girl Georgia, who now attends Camborne Science and International Academy, has not told her classmates about her condition, although she did reveal it to pupils at her primary school.

She wore a head scarf which was pulled off by one of the pupils, so she stood up in front of the class, showed them her head and explained about herself. “I got a big clap”, she said.

Charlotte is holding the fun day during September, which is National Alopecia Awareness Month, as she believes there is not enough support for sufferers in Cornwall and the south west.

It will take place on Sunday, 28 September, from 11am to 4pm at Falmouth Cricket Club, with attractions including barbecue and a cake stall, raffle and tombola and children's activities such as pony rides, bouncy castle and face painting.

For more information call 07855 830058.