- 06 April 2026
- Apprentices &
As proud Bronze Sponsors of Little Lady Locks, four of our North West Kleek Hairdressing Apprentices and their Educator had the incredible opportunity to explore the heart of this inspiring charity and see the amazing work they do first-hand. Little Lady Locks provides wigs and hair systems for children with cancer and alopecia, bringing confidence and joy to families across the UK.
Kleek Apprentices Molly Binks, Alice Watts, Isobelle Egan and Scarlett Holcroft, along with their Educator Christina McGrane, shared their inspiring experience with us…
The day began with a warm welcome from the lovely Little Lady Locks team, Paisley, Ella, and founder Ashley. They started with a tour of their huge (and VERY pink) premises, sharing all their exciting plans for transforming the space even further!
Kleek Educator, Christina, commented: “A heart-warming moment was seeing the faces of all of the beautiful children on their ‘Making Dreams Come True’ wall of fame, and learning about some of their stories. It really gave us an insight into just how life-changing the work of Little Lady Locks is.”
After the tour of their ‘Pink Palace’, our apprentices gained hands-on experience with a variety of tasks: assembling fundraising packs for businesses, sorting donated hair by length and colour at different stations, and putting together donation boxes for children, which included adding in small gifts like sweets and hair bobbles.
Alice said, “One of my tasks was to help make up the fundraising packs for Little Lady Locks. This involved adding all their printed leaflets, scratch cards and documents into one pack. I didn’t realise how much work went on behind the scenes and how much of a process there is!”
Molly shared, “I’ve been helping to sort the hair out into different lengths, measuring them against the guides provided so we can organise all of the hair. I’ve learnt today that Little Lady Locks isn’t government-funded at all, it’s purely a charity. So, they really do rely on any kind of donation from the public to help them support the children.”
Issy added, “I also helped to sort through the donated hair into the correct box for colour and length. I’ve learned that all of the donated hair is actually real, and not synthetic, so the wigs that are being made are very high quality.’
The highlight of the day came when they sat down with Ashley, whose story left them beyond inspired. This was the Apprentices' chance to ask any questions they had prepared, to find out about Ashley’s journey and experience…
Alice: Can you share the story of how Little Lady Locks began, and what inspired you to start the company?
Ashley: About 12 years ago now, I was helping adults who were suffering with hair loss, and a mother called Laura contacted me about her daughter, Isabella, who was 5 years old. Isabella wasn’t going into school, and Laura said “please can you help? You’re my last resort, I've seen the amazing work that you do with adults, please, please can you help?”
At this point, my life looked rather different; I had my own salon and was doing hair extension courses, but then I split up with my partner and someone set my salon alight. Because I left the shutters up – my business insurance was invalid. So, in the space of a week, I’d lost my partner, my home, my salon and had to move back to Manchester.
I decided to help this little girl while I was trying to find my feet again, and by helping her regain her confidence, it ignited something in me to get mine back, too. It reminded me that material things don't matter. Boyfriends, shops, and chairs can be replaced, but giving a child the confidence to return to normal life truly gave my life purpose!
Molly: What does a typical day look like for you?
Ashley: Every single day is different… doing my adult clients, and Little Lady Locks fittings, or doing some building work! I also offer hair extension and hair loss training, but I have been focusing on transforming our new Little Lady Locks building at the moment.
Alice: How did you get into hairdressing?
Ashley: I’ve always loved hairdressing; it’s always been my passion. But I actually started in law, working in an office, so I did that for 5 years, and then I got my hair extensions done, and I loved the transformation and feeling it gave me, so I thought I wanted to get into this industry, so I started doing hair extensions.
Izzy: What has been the most rewarding moment since starting Little Lady Locks?
Ashley: I think working with the children and parents, especially a lot of the little kids, they’ve not been going into school and been very socially withdrawn, then hearing after visiting Little Lady Locks and getting their hair done, and hearing they are back in school and going out with friends, I think that’s the most rewarding part, seeing how life changing our services are. I think for women, your hair really is your crown and confidence, so just seeing the life-changing services is really rewarding.
Scarlett: Where do you see Little Lady Locks in the next 5 years, any exciting plans?
Ashley: Initially, I planned to offer help with alopecia alongside my job, but I didn’t realise its extent. One client hadn’t left her home in five years and noted a lack of resources for children. This prompted me to start Little Lady Locks and more recently to expand my services with the launch of Little Lad Locks. We’ve even received enquiries from America and Australia, but we need to develop the charity here first. I see the charity supporting any child in this situation through community help.
Molly: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early days, and how did you overcome them?
Ashley: We face significant challenges as a charity trying to raise funds for children. Our success relies on the generosity of individuals and businesses like Kleek. Personally, I struggle with asking for money, but it's essential for my role. When we have 42 children waiting for assistance, securing funds quickly is the hardest part of our work.
Scarlett: How can other salons get involved, beyond donating?
Ashley: You can help by volunteering for the day, as time is just as valuable as money for our small team. Having support like Kleek today is a huge help! Salons can also host fundraising days, like blowdry’athons. We have fundraising packs available to assist with events and haircut donation days. Get in touch with your ideas!
Christina: It sounds like hard work, is it worth it?
Ashley: I couldn’t do this without my team, Paisley and Ella. Working here becomes addictive—when you’re passionate about what you do, you want to keep pushing forward. We’re on the path to where we need to be, and your visit today has meant so much. Spreading awareness through your Kleek Academies helps us reach more people who want to contribute.
This behind-the-scenes look at this highly impactful charity was an eye-opening experience for our apprentices, offering them valuable lessons to take back to their salons.
Scarlett shared, “It was so interesting to learn how many children are getting help from Little Lady Locks, and how companies can help through sponsorships!”
Kleek Educator, Christina, added, “I’ve really enjoyed learning about the whole company, the building and all the different rooms. And that they do Little Lad Locks as well, it’s been a great day.’
Article first published in Issue 4 of the Kleek Magazine, 2025, Page 4-7