Jasmine is a cut above the rest for the Little Princess Trust

Inspirational Jasmine Pole, from Kingswinford, was born 11 weeks premature in 1997, weighing only two pounds 10 ounces.

Now a Duke of Edinburgh Ambassador, Jasmine leads the charge in charity fundraising – donating a portion of her long brown hair to children who suffer from early-onset cancers.

Jasmine said: "I tend to do a lot of charity work, I really like giving back. I feel like this is really important. The children of the Little Princess Trust, suffer from cancer or can't grow hair, and this will help boost their confidence.

"The haircut was okay, I was quite nervous, I definitely think you have to adjust and get used to it. the hairdressers said the shorter hair really suited me."

Jasmine has autism and dyspraxia, which contributes to her nerves, but she didn't let this hold her back when she was awarded the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award back in May 2022, when she visited Buckingham Palace to pick up her award.

Now continuing her work as a Duke of Edinburgh Ambassador, Jasmine helps to be a positive image to others who are on the road to receiving the award

She said: "As an ambassador, I got a lot of events and trips and promote the scheme, I attended the Birmingham Commonwealth Games which was a really nice experience.

"When I went for the DofE I really struggled with the map reading, but with teamwork, we managed it."

Jasmine's team consisted of other young people with a range of different disabilities, which she said helps them to "stick together and bond as a group."

The 25-year-old is now looking forward to the new year, where she plans to continue her charity work in her local community.