A BIG-HEARTED Bankie admits a young neighbour who lost her hair inspired him to grow his own to donate as a wig to a child in need.

Rab Kirkwood insists the haters didn’t deter him from allowing the hair on his head to grow to over 15 inches.

The Whitecrook resident hasn’t had a haircut since September 2022, initially deciding to grow it due to his love of Vikings.

And he revealed the end is now in sight as he looks to offer the hair to The Little Princess Trust to allow a child currently going through chemotherapy to wear.

Speaking exclusively to the Clydebank Post sporting his ponytail, Rab said: “One of my neighbours, a few years ago, their wee girl ended up losing all her hair.

Clydebank Post: The ponytail is now set to come offThe ponytail is now set to come off (Image: Tom Grant)

“She went right downhill; she wouldn’t come out of her bedroom or talk to her mum and dad.

“I think that memory has sparked something in me. I remember when she did get a wig, that changed that lassie’s whole life.”

Himself a dad to a little girl, Rab explained early into the journey, friends and family questioned why he hadn’t had a haircut and when he was next heading to the barbershop.

But it was the jibes from both pals and strangers during the 15 months of hair-growing that really drove him to keep going.

“When I first started out, and it wasn’t growing into the style I was wanting, I was so close to giving up,” continued the 32-year-old.

“I also got grief of a few people but who cares?

“I still get a bit of grief from people. 

“But that is nothing compared to people going through cancer or going through chemotherapy.

“Let me lead my path and you will see there is a message behind it.”

Rab has now got a date with the clippers twice in the next few weeks when he finally heads to Supercuts in Clyde Shopping Centre to get the ponytail snipped.

He will then bag it and send it to The Little Princess Trust, a charity that specialises in taking hair longer than seven inches and making it into wigs for children who need it.

Then, the former trainee chef will be going for Brave the Shave on January 24, another fundraising venture he is doing for those less fortunate than him.

It means starting the whole process from scratch again, with Rab admitting he plans to give his hair away again in a year and a half's time.

He finished: “I want to do it because the children have got the rest of their lives ahead of them.

“If they can beat whatever situation they are going through, they have the rest of their lives to go ahead.

“So, if I can give them something small like a little bit of hair, to boost their confidence, what’s the harm?”

You can donate to Rab’s kind cause by contacting him via Facebook.