According to the 10-year-old's mother Melissa, Olivia has only had one proper haircut and that was back in the first grade.

Now the fourth-grader will be cutting it off and, not only donating it to Variety - the Children's Charity's Hair with Heart, she's also raising money for the organisation.

"When she decided to finally cut it off, we thought it would be worth putting it to good use and helping other kids," Melissa said.

As Olivia has been getting older, and her hair has been getting longer, the maintenance is becoming less enjoyable. But the tipping point was her love of swimming.

"It doesn't fit under in a swimming cap and she's a swimmer," Melissa smiled.

So the deal is, she'll be cutting it off before the start of the swim season. Although the actual cut won't be done with a lot of fan-fare, the money she raises and the hair donated with be making a big difference to the lives of children with medical conditions.

"Please help me to help kids in need," Olivia states on the Variety club fundraising page. "I have made the decision to make a difference by cutting and donating my hair to be made into a wig for someone who has lost their hair due to a medical condition."

They set their fundraising first goal at $500 but met that within 24 hours. Since then, the target has been change twice and the new goal is $1500.

Olivia is chopping off 40 centimetres on Wednesday, September 2, so there is still time to donate by visiting https://hairwithheart.variety.org.au/fundraisers/MelissaWade/hair-with-heart.

Variety - the Children's Charity

Wigs cost families up to $6000, lasting one to two years, meaning families can spend tens of thousands of dollars on the purchase of wigs throughout a child's youth. By making a donation to Variety - the Children's Charity, you can help provide a wig or other vital equipment to a child in need.