Headshave at Lanark Grammar for cancer support funds

So Margaret (57), her daughter Allison Rankin (22) and support assistant Roseanne Walsh all had their heads shaved in the school to raise funds.

“It was absolutely brilliant” said Margaret afterwards. “It was liberating.”

She has not worn any of the bandanas she bought, and she has started wearing make-up!

“The confidence boost it has given is quite unbelievable,” she said.

Allison, who has a psychology degree and volunteers as a befriender with Healthy Valleys, has also found the lack of hair liberating.

Explaining why they did it, Margaret, who lives in Lanark, said that she had had “a couple of scares” with cancer. A breast cancer fright had proved groundless, but she is waiting to have a growth removed from her pancreas.

“I wanted to do something to show that even though you are living in the shadow, fearing that you might have cancer, you can be positive, that you can get up and do something good,” she said,

Teachers and pupils watched as the women had their heads shaved at Lanark Grammar, and they were delighted with the support.

“It was mobbed,” said Margaret.

So far they have raised about £1600, and sponsorship money is still coming in.