A COURAGEOUS woman who has spent three years battling cancer is planning to have her head shaved for charity.

Alexis McEwen has suffered with sarcoma treatment since doctors discovered the illness in April, 2015, and has since been through intensive chemotherapy and had two tumours, weighing more than 8lb each, removed from her.

However, after scans earlier this month showed that the tumours had returned, specialists told the 54-year-old that she would need six months of intensive chemotherapy.

Now, Ms McEwen, from Walkden, is set to shave off her own hair at before the treatment causes her to lose it, and wants to used this to raise money for Cancer Research. The event will take place at 1pm on Saturday, at Tesco, Longcauseway, Farnworth, where Ms McEwen is a manager.

She said the event is her way of "paying forward" after the work doctors have done to help her, and raising awareness of the dangers cancer can bring.

She said: "I lost my sister-in-law in 2012 to cancer and both my parents had cancer, my dad died because of it.

"It's something that I'm quite passionate about. I do the coffee mornings and help out wherever possible. You feel like giving a bit of your money is great but giving your time and energy helps even more.

"For example, in my store, I'm helping someone who is struggling with breast cancer, to make sure her schedules are OK and that she is supported and has a point of contact."

As well as raising money, Ms McEwen hopes her event will raise awareness of cancer, for those who think the disease will never affect them.

"We're trying to make people aware that cancer is out there," she said. "It's out there all the time."

To donate to the cause, drop some money off at the supermarket.