What Ms Van Corler did next sparked a project that has seen cancer patients across Australia and overseas gifted with handmade turbans.

“Mum had bowel cancer and I tried to buy her one in Yarrawonga and couldn’t – so I thought, ‘bugger it, I’ll make one’.

“I downloaded a pattern and made some.”

Ms Van Corler believed making the turbans free for those who needed it most would be of interest to her fellow Yarrawonga Lions Club members – and the rest is history.

“The Turban Angels meet every Tuesday at the Lions Club room and sew them – we can do about 100 a session,” she said.

“We put them in doctors clinics and, if it’s a small town without an oncology department, we put them in the local chemist.

“We have them in five countries and in every state of Australia – Olivia Newton John has got 400 off us.”

The 6000th turban was placed on the freshly-shaved head of Beechworth Lions member Josie Cornish at a fundraiser for the angels on Saturday.

Ms Cornish, who was joined in the shave by Lions member Chris Brine, has been supporting the project since it began 18 months ago.

“It was my idea to do the head shave,” she said.

“I lost my sister two years ago to cancer and my friend Heidi is suffering from cancer.”

Heidi Freeman, wearing one of her six turbans, was watching Ms Cornish lose her locks from the crowd.

“I’m going through breast cancer and it’s very special to me they do this for free,” she said.

“I’ve given some away to the hospital in Melbourne where I get my treatment.

“A lot of love’s put in them.”

Ms Van Corler knows this better than anyone –  the Turban Angels grew even closer to her heart following her mother’s death in January.

“Yarrawonga Lions have gotten behind us and we’ve just flown,” she said.

The Beechworth Lions helped the angels raise $5932.

Ms Cornish said the group would now be able to purchase permanent sewing machines.

“I took some turbans over to West Virginia and they loved them – with a bit of luck, we could send some more,” she said.