AN Erskine schoolgirl is going to great lengths to raise cash for the hospice that helped her papa fulfil his dying wish to meet her baby brother.

Connie Moore, 11, has already handed over almost £1,000 to Accord Hospice after deciding to collect donations at the funeral of her grandfather Ian McCrone, who died of lung cancer last year.

Now the St John Bosco Primary pupil, supported by her proud mum Cassie, has decided to have her flowing locks cut to a short bob as she coins in even more money for the Paisley charity.

Connie will face the chop at the start of next month, just before her brother Christy’s first birthday.

Doting grandad Ian was able to meet the new arrival before passing away on Christmas Eve, just two weeks after Christy was born.

Cassie told The Gazette: “My dad was in and out of hospital until we went to Accord Hospice, who sorted out all of his medication and gave us an extra couple of months with him.

“We are just so glad he got to meet Christy. That was his big goal and he managed to walk me down the aisle before he died too.

“Connie was a big part of her papa’s care and was always at the hospice and they were great with her and the family, so she just keeps thinking ‘what can I do now to help them?’

“Getting her hair cut was her idea. She is a wee bit nervous because she has always had long hair but she is being brave and doing it for a good cause.”

Ian, 73, worked at the Kibble Education and Care Centre, in Paisley, helping disadvantaged children.

He was known for his sense of humour and refused to let his ailing health get in the way of making nurses at the hospice laugh.

Connie and her papa were like best friends and Cassie knows her dad would be so proud of the primary seven pupil’s efforts.

To help her daughter raise a bit more money, the 32-year-old mum is using her baking skills to raffle off cakes in exchange for a small donation to Connie’s gofundme page.

Cassie added: “Covid will have had a detrimental impact on Accord’s fundraising but we are just so thankful to them.

“We want to do our bit to give something back.”
Anyone who would like to support Connie’s fundraising efforts can make a donation online at https://uk.gofundme.com/f/bj7x5n.