Beloved rat's tail gets the chop to raise cash

Southbrook School's inaugural spring market fundraiser got a great boost from one of the school's young pupils.

Nine-year-old Ryder Askin-Barclay raised $600 for his school last Friday by having his head shaved at the Southbrook School Spring Market, sacrificing his much-loved, long, plaited rat's tail in the process.

The innovative youngster arranged to have a collection bucket placed in a couple of local pubs before the market, with information saying he was shaving his head for education. The response from pub-goers was generous.

The school has benefited from Ryder's initiative and he has kept his severed rats tail as a memento.

Southbrook School board of trustees chairwoman and parent representative Liz McClure said Ryder organised the pub fundraiser himself, and raising so much money was a wonderful effort.

The market had 28 stalls, including one selling the school's popular cookbook, A Little Slice of Southbrook.

Liz said she was pleased with attendance at the market, which ran for four hours.

''It is a real community event and there has been an incredible turnout.''