China. Home to over 1.3billion people, dotted across nearly 10million square kilometres of land. With the edge of the Himalayas situated to its West, China is a country bordered by the likes of Russia and North Korea, and seems a world away from the tiny little town of Gravesend.

 

However, this ten hour journey from the United Kingdom has gone from being an impossible dream to a now touchable reality for one charismatic teenager, going by the name of Oliver ‘Olly’ Baker.

 

Olly, an avid West Ham fan, has registered with Gravesend Grammar School to take part in a once in a life time trip to the world’s most populous country, with the start of his month-long outing set to be during 2016.

 

However, this journey is two years away, and to fill that time, Olly has quite a task ahead of him; to find a way to raise a total of £4000 for the trip. Fundraisers were the obvious option, but Olly didn’t go for one of the standard methods, such as a protracted, arduous run or going for a fatiguing, exhausting cycle around Gravesend.

 

Instead, Olly went for something far worse, something that would be far more of a challenge than any of the mentioned feats- Olly shaved off of his beloved hair.

 

In a video which was filmed and posted on Instagram, Olly went from having hair that was fairly fashionable and trendy to something which made him look rather like a criminal! At the time, Olly said that he “didn’t feel confident going out”, for fear of ridicule or derogatory comments, but he stood strong, knowing that, all in all, his momentous sacrifice was for a good cause.

 

In fact, Olly’s haircut went even further than a trip to China, with Olly doing something quite valiant and noble indeed. Olly dedicated 50% of the funding to a girl who has cancer, as a way of contributing to her happy list which includes a trip to Disney. A truly touching and poignant act from Olly, with his contribution undoubtedly having quite an influence on the girl’s life.

 

All in all, Olly’s antics raised a total of £200, a figure which continues to rise. Olly himself has spoken to me about the haircut, saying that “I just wanted to get a start on my fundraising, as if I could get a decent first amount of money I can get on a roll to reach four thousand pounds.” As for the China trip, Olly can hardly contain his excitement, with him telling me that “I’ll be trekking the Gongga Mountain, which has a peak of five thousand metres, and we will be doing community projects in a monastery, before spending the rest of the time sightseeing and mixing with the locals”.

 

Either way, Olly’s effort is a touching one, and I wish him all the best for his trip, as well as a swift recovery for the girl and her family.

 

To help and donate to Olly’s cause, feel free to visit his Facebook, Instagram and YouCaring pages:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakersroadtochina?fref=ts

 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/ollys_road_to_china

 

YouCaring: http://www.youcaring.com/mission-trip-fundraiser/china-fundraiser-2016/250095

 

Joe Paternoster, Gravesend Grammar School.