A Penhill mother who escaped an abusive relationship in which her partner prevented her having her hair cut short is to raise money to prevent others suffering a similar ordeal – by shaving her head.

Corinna Bearman, 45, a stay-at-home mum, will take to the trimmer for the Women’s Trust, hoping to raise money to help victims of domestic abuse, and the British Lung Foundation.

Alongside fundraising, there is another motivation to say goodbye to her hair. she said: “My last partner wouldn’t even let me have it trimmed. About a year ago I had my hair cut short – and now I thought, why not just get it shaved and see if I can raise a bit of money for charity?”

Speaking about her experiences of domestic abuse, Corinna, who has twice been in abusive relationships, said: “When I was first in that type of relationship, there was no help out there whatsoever.

“But following the second relationship I was in – I’ve been away from him for about one-and-a-half years now – there was a lot more help, but still not enough.

“Unless someone has suffered with it, or knows someone who has, I think it’s very difficult to understand what they have been through.

“Especially the last relationship, he was more emotionally and financially abusing me. They manage to turn everyone against you, and it’s horrendous. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. So if there’s anything I could do to help that, I’d like to.”

The Women’s Trust do work which she feels is vitally important. Corinna said: “They basically help victims of domestic violence and abuse, and also help with the mental health issues that women suffer with after.

“I’ve been through it twice – it has changed me considerably. I suffer terribly with my anxiety and depression. It’s a big issue for me.”

The reasoning for her second choice of charity is also personal, as several members of her family suffer from conditions affecting their lungs, including her 21-year-old daughter, who has asthma, and her son, aged 17, who has cystic fibrosis.

She said: “Two of my children have lung problems, asthma and cystic fibrosis. It’s a very difficult illness to deal with, because unless you’ve struggled for breath, you take it for granted that you can breath.

“When you struggle, you know that more needs to be done.”

Corinna, who suffers from asthma herself, said: “I’ve ended up in hospital twice, most recently about six months ago, when I finally gave up smoking. It’s actually very scary.

“I did want to do a 3k or 5k run, but my chest won’t allow me to.

“That’s a big factor in why I wanted to support the Lung Foundation.

“I did go to the gym for a bit, but it was my chest that stopped me. It stops me from doing a lot of activities: I struggle even to get dressed sometimes, and I’m only 45; I’m not an old age pensioner just yet.”

Corinna’s hair will be shaved at Altered Images, Gorse Hill, on September 8 at 1pm.