A young hair stylist will take the plunge for charity, and face her fear of heights, in memory of a popular Wrexham teaching assistant.

Fern Lewis, 23, will abseil 180ft at Llangollen Outdoors activity centre on September 17 to raise funds for Wales Air Ambulance in memory of Lisa Michelle Davies.

Fern, of Swan Lane in Flint, was inspired to help after Lisa’s mother, Margaret Lynne Unsworth, a customer at The Zone in Wrexham where she works as a hair stylist, told her about a series of events she was planning for the charity.

While she admitted to being “proper nervy” about the challenge, Fern added: “I’m more excited than anything because the money is going to a really good cause and Margaret is so passionate about her fundraising – and I’m also excited about challenging my fear of heights.”

Lisa Davies, who died aged 33 in 2015. Lisa was a Flying Start playgroup supervisor at Ysgol Heulfan in Gwersyllt and was also a steward at Wrexham AFC.

In a quirky twist, Fern will do the abseil dressed as a Smurf after asking children at the salon for suggestions on possible costumes to wear.

Fern has raised £448 so far, including £250 of tips which she had saved up for the cause.

Lisa, a teaching assistant at Ysgol Heulfan in Gwersyllt, died at Walton Hospital in Liverpool after a stroke aged 33 in 2015, nine days after she suffered a brain haemorrhage.

The abseil is part of a fundraising campaign in Lisa’s memory for Wales Air Ambulance, organised by Margaret, 61, of Heol y Wal in Bradley.

Other events include a quiz night and raffle at Gwersyllt Cricket Club at 7.30pm on August 31, and a sponsored walk up Snowdon later this month.

There will also be a show night, with singer Bobby Gold, and raffle at Llay Miners Welfare at 8.30pm on September 13.

Bradley Village Hall will be the venue for bingo and a raffle on September 16, with eyes down at 2pm and games starting at 2.30pm.

There will be another raffle at Santander in Regent Street, Wrexham on September 23, with

Margaret raised about £500 last year for an accommodation block at Walton Hospital with a bingo night at Bradley Village Hall.

She told how the actions of Wales Ambulance Service staff when Lisa was taken ill, and when Margaret had a heart attack in 2011, had inspired her to raise funds for the air ambulance charity, which relies on donations.

“We both dealt with the ambulance service, Lisa’s favourite programme was Helicopter Heroes and she loved anything medical – and fundraising,” she added.

“I just thought that we have given to the hospital so it would be nice to give back to the ambulance service.”

Hundreds of people attended Mrs Davies’ funeral at Pentrebychan Crematorium, and 150 people released balloons near Ysgol Heulfan, where she was a Flying Start playgroup supervisor – in her memory.

Lisa was also a Wrexham AFC steward and helped to raise money for Nightingale House Hospice, as a steward at the annual Ladies’ Midnight Walk, collecting donations at Reds matches and helping out at other fundraising events.

Margaret thanked Lisa’s best friend and fellow Racecourse steward, Dan Roberts, for helping to organise the latest fundraising event.

Of Lisa, she added: “She was the perfect daughter. She was just so kind and caring – nothing was too much trouble.

“She was supervisor at the school. She just adored the children and those children adored her.”

Donations can also be made online at www.justgiving.com/crowdfun
ding/in-memory-for-lisa.

Fern has also set up a fundraising page at www.justigiving.com/crowdfu
nding/fern-lewis.