A CHARITY champion is preparing to take on a hair-raising challenge that will see him lose his beloved dreadlocks.

Rob Harris has been cultivating his striking hair-do for the past 13 years but is prepared to sacrifice his locks in memory of his late granddad.

Rob, of Greenmount, who works at TNT in Ramsbottom, has raised more than £1,500 in pursuit of a £2,000 target for the mental health charity, Mind. Once his target figure has been pledged, he will undergo the razor.

The 28-year-old kicked off his campaign to raise funds for the charity after his granddad was diagnosed with dementia in December last year.

“When he was diagnosed near Christmas he slowly began to decline and became more confused and anxious about pretty much everything,” said Rob.

“He was well looked after by my relatives and living at my parents with support from them, myself, brother and sister.

“It made me think about the people who have dementia and other mental illnesses but no close family around them to keep them feeling comfortable.

“If my granddad had been without us, he would have been very distressed and confused about what was going on on a daily basis.”

Mind is a charity that dedicates its time to supporting people with mental illnesses.

To donate to Rob’s head shave: go to www.gofundme.com/nbsgtw