Date published: 20 March 2024
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and The Lions Barber Collective have teamed up to run a free hairdressing and mental health event on Thursday, 28 March between 8:30am and 1pm at The Blue Base in Walton.
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and The Lions Barber Collective have teamed up to run a free hairdressing and mental health event on Thursday, 28 March between 8:30am and 1pm at The Blue Base in Walton.
The Safe Space pop-up is a chance for local residents to get a free haircut, have an open conversation about their mental health and take away a goody bag which includes a range of useful information about local and national mental health services.
Those attending will also get the chance to learn more about the free online suicide awareness training courses from the Zero Suicide Alliance.
Jade Thai, Senior Research Manager at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We are pleased to work in partnership with The Lions Barber Collective and Everton in the Community on this event and for the support we have received from the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR), Clinical Research Network North West Coast.
"By running a Safe Space pop-up with The Lions Barber Collective, we hope to reach people in our local communities that we may not have done before with vital information about mental health and suicide prevention.
“We are also working with The Lions Barber Collective to provide free BarberTalk training sessions to local hairdressers, barbers and beauticians. This training will help them to spot the signs of a customer struggling with their mental health and how to listen and advise them on seeking help.”
The Lions Barber Collective was set up in 2015 by Tom Chapman. He said: “We are delighted to be working with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. Our aim is to create safe places for people to go and talk about the issues they have with the people they trust, breaking the taboo and showing the world that it is ok to be not ok and to share their problems without fear of judgement.”
The Safe Space pop-up event will take place at The Blue Base, Salop Street, Liverpool, L4 4BZ coinciding with the jobs fair and food pantry at the Everton in the Community venue. No appointments are needed for haircuts, but they will be provided on a first come, first served basis.
If you are a barber, hairdresser or beautician interested in participating in future BarberTalk training please contact Joleen Shaw in Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Safe from Suicide Team at Joleen
To find out more about The Lions Barber Collective please visit www.thelionsbarbercollective.com.