We are delighted to announce that Hair in the Community has been awarded £2,000 of funding from the South West Water Neighbourhood Fund! Recently, we were visited by the wonderful Olivia Crisp from South West Water, who presented us with the funding cheque and took a tour of our salon. During her visit, we had the chance to share more about our work and how this funding will support our latest initiative, ‘Haircuts for Confidence’.
The ‘Haircuts for Confidence’ project aims to provide free haircuts to people who are being supported by St Petrock’s Homeless Shelter. The funding allows our Community Lead Hairdresser & Tutor Rhi Belcher to visit every week (or biweekly) to provide much-needed haircuts for people in need. On some of the visits, students from our training salon, Hair at the Academy, accompany Rhi to assist, gaining valuable experience with client communication and honing practical skills.
This service has been a lifeline; one young man with heavily knotted Afro hair shared how his matted “crown” had impacted his mental health and caused physical discomfort. After his fresh cut, he expressed relief and renewed confidence, happy to feel his scalp breathe again. Another gentleman had a haircut just before his interview with the Job Centre which he was very grateful for.
This project aligns with South West Water’s Neighbourhood Fund aim of providing new opportunities for people to learn and develop. Our students are gaining valuable real-world experience by practicing on a variety of hair types, improving their skills and building confidence – whilst vulnerable people in our community feel supported with free personal grooming.
We are incredibly grateful to South West Water for their support, and we look forward to sharing the impact this funding will have on both our students and the wider community.
For more information about the South West Water Neighbourhood Fund, visit their website to see how they’re helping local projects thrive across the region.