A DETERMINED fundraiser had all of his hair shaved off to raise funds for a charity which supports him.

Joseph Cooke, 25, from Portslade undertook the hair-raising challenge to raise money for the Sussex Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (Sasbah).

He said: “I have hydrocephalus but feel it is an invisible condition. It doesn’t get the awareness that it should get.

“Sasbah has given me so much direct support over the last 14 years.

“I feel it’s time to show my appreciation for the positive impact it has on the lives of so many.”

Hydrocephalus is a build-up of fluid on the brain.

The excess fluid puts pressure on the brain, which can damage it.

Sasbah has two centres in Sussex – in Worthing and Gun Hill, near Chiddingly, in East Sussex.

Mr Cooke raised more than £250 for the charity.

Chief executive Rom Sanglaji said: “We want to say a very public thank you to Joseph for his very kind fundraising.

“It is a wonderful gesture and one we are very grateful for. Sasbah is an amazing charity full of wonderful people – staff, volunteers, families and individuals.

“We may not be the most high profile charity but I am proud of the work we carry out across Sussex.”

Sasbah was formed as an independent charity in 1965 in response to the growing demand for support services for those with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus in Sussex.

Mr Sanglaji said: “Our mission is a simple one: working with those in Sussex who have one or both conditions to create and develop their best opportunities.

“Over half a century we have gradually increased both our services and our membership, so that we now offer support to more than 500 people of all ages.

“We deliver a wide range of services and programmes, all based on needs identified by service users themselves, who are represented at all levels of our organisation up to trustee level, where nearly half of the trustees are themselves service users.

“We have extended some of our services to people with other disabilities so that both they and those with the principal conditions we support can benefit from interaction with a wider group, and from the experience of the Sasbah staff.

“Sasbah is a tightly managed organisation and we have an extensive network of over 170 volunteers, who are trained in the conditions and are crucial to the delivery of such a wide range of services. “