British barber celebrated by Prime Minister with ‘Points of Light’ Award after raising awareness of men’s mental health

An inspirational barber who set up his own men’s mental health awareness and suicide prevention movement has been awarded a ‘Point of Light’ Award by Prime Minister Theresa May.

Tom Chapman’s Lions Barber Collective is turning barbershops into safe spaces for men using the opportunity of a regular haircut to start conversations about mental health. The group is having an enormous impact with men who traditional mental health services can struggle to reach.

Tom organises a professionally run training programme, which is teaching barbers to ‘recognise, talk, listen and advise’ clients and works with the suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS – signposting the services they offer to clients in need.

In recognition of the impact the group is making, Tom was chosen for a ‘Points of Light’ Award, which recognises outstanding individual volunteers, who are making a change in their community.

In a personal letter written to Tom, Prime Minister May wrote: “The Lions Barber Collective is a brilliantly innovative initiative creating safe, non-judgemental spaces for men to open up about their mental health. By equipping barbers with the skills to have these conversations you are supporting them to use the trusted relationships they have with many of their clients to make a real difference.”

Tom was delighted that his hard work had been officially recognised and hoped the publicity surrounding the award would help to drive greater awareness of mental health and suicide prevention in men.

He said: “I am truly taken back by this honour; never did I expect The Lions Barber Collective to be as successful as it has become, nor get this level of recognition. A personal endorsement from the Prime Minister will no doubt help us to move forward, complete more work and raise more awareness than ever before. I cannot thank you enough for this award; I am moved, shocked and honoured. My late Grandad would have been especially proud.”

Recent research suggests that barbers are in a very unique position to help men in their battle with depression. A survey commissioned by the Lions Barber Collective and The Bluebeards Revenge male grooming brand revealed that more than half of the men in Britain now feel more comfortable discussing sensitive mental health issues such as depression with their barbers/hairdressers than their doctors.

The Lions Barber Collective are teaming up with The Bluebeards Revenge to help raise the awareness of men’s mental health and encourage men to “man up and talk”. The Bluebeards Revenge will soon be rolling out an on-pack awareness campaign, as well as launching a co-branded product with all proceedings going to the charity’s great cause.

David Hildrew, Managing Director of The Bluebeards Revenge and an ex-Royal Marine Commando, added: “It’s very encouraging to see that barbers all over Britain are presenting a suitable pillar for men to lean on. As an ex-serviceman, I take male depression very seriously. It’s an illness that many military men suffer with in silence. The Lions Barber Collective charity is the perfect way to break down the barriers that men tend to build themselves and together we hope to help educate barbers around the world and encourage men to man up and talk about their problems.”

The American Crew All Star Challenge annual competition recognizes the best men’s stylists in the world. In addition to honouring stylists across the globe, the All-Star Challenge charges professionals with a passion for men’s grooming to create artistic, styles that express the true vision of the American Crew man.

To enter stylists & barbers had to cut and style a male model with American Crew products and take two black and white pictures of the model from chest-level and above (one face-on, one profile) in front of a blank background, with no props visible.

The UK and Ireland Winners have been announced.

Adam Mir of the Taylor Taylor Barbershop was the 2017 UK Winner.

Ciaran O’Sullivan of Wayne Lloyd Hair was the 2017 Ireland Winner.

Both will now go forward to the All-Star Challenge Final where they will compete with 13 other finalists in Brussels in May 2017. The Global winner receives the coveted title and a $10,000 cash prize.

Ruffians, one the UK’s most influential barber shops, has appointed Denis Robinson as its Artistic Director. With over 35 years of industry experience, Robinson will be driving the creativity and talent of the Ruffians team to new heights in the men’s hair industry.

Having opened two Central London locations in 2016, Ruffians’ focus for the upcoming year is to be at the forefront of creativity, trend-setting and ingenuity in men’s hair. Gone are the days where women’s styles and fashion dominated: 2017 is the year of men’s hair, and with Robinson’s vision and experience, Ruffians aims to lead the artistic and commercial trends in the industry.

Andrew Cannon, CEO of Ruffians said of the appointment “We are delighted to have Denis heading up our Artistic Team and creative vision. Men’s hairdressing has come on leaps and bounds over the past 4-5 years, our desire is for Ruffians to continue as the driving force. With our art team in demand on a weekly basis for consumer titles like Shortlist, Men’s Health etc., and an increasing diary of showcases and seminars, now is the perfect time to invest in our future and artistic credentials.”.

Robinson trained in Ireland and honed his craft alongside the former British Hairdresser of the Year Charles Worthington MBE. An educator of the Senior Team at Charles Worthington, he then headed up their Artistic Division, before moving over to the London Hair Academy; there, he educated and guided dozens of pupils towards industry success.

Having noticed a large increase in the creative potential of the men’s hair industry, Robinson joined the Ruffians team in January 2016. Robinson says: “From the day I started at Ruffians I was blown away by the talent pool within the team, and by the sheer passion and enthusiasm in the air. I am incredibly humbled and excited to be asked to guide that talent.”

“In just over a year the company has doubled in size, and this has cultivated an atmosphere of development and growth which is bursting with ideas. As a young brand, we have had barbers and hairdressers join us from so many backgrounds and disciplines. Now it’s time to hone, refine and improve what we’ve got, and develop Ruffians into a stronger brand that is recognised in the industry for its finesse and creativity, as well as for the very successful business model that Andrew has created for customers”.

For press enquires and additional imagery please contact Adam Bodini adam.bodini@ruffians.co.uk or Denis Robinson is contactable by email on denis.robinson@ruffians.co.uk or via Ruffians Covent Garden on 020 7240 8180.

Wahl, the international industry leader, announces a new addition to their acclaimed UK Artistic Team.

Newly crowned ‘British Barber of the Year’, Andrea Raymond is adept at delivering the latest cutting edge techniques. Passionate, committed and hugely talented, Andrea is perfectly positioned to educate the next generation of barbers, ensuring quality and diversity across every Wahl exhibition, show and course.

Wahl’s European Artistic Director, Simon Shaw says “Andrea is a real talent and star for the future. I’m looking forward to coaching and working with her, she’ll be doing all of our major shows in 2017 and I can’t wait to see her in action”. You can catch Andrea demonstrating the latest techniques on stage at Pro Hair Live, Barber Connect and Salon International. Andrea will also be teaching Classic Men’s Grooming at Hennessy, Cork on 3rd April 2017.

More info at www.wahlacademy.co.uk

The first Men’s Hair Workshop of the year took place on Monday 23rd January at Alan d Academy in Smithfield, London with a unique opportunity to learn from an array of mentors from different industry backgrounds. Members joined Ian Rotman from HOB; Jean Louis Canonville from Alan d Academy; Ollie Mehra from Th1 Hair; Amy O’Keefe from Hare & Bone; Richie Kadir from Billi Currie and Jeremy Roca Ripoll from Rush.

The event was hosted by Edward Hemmings who ensured the night ran smoothly and grouped the students so everyone could get the most out of the education available.

Everyone was present with their own model and the masters guided them on an almost one to one basis on top tips and skills to enhance their finishes and techniques.

The students had a fantastic evening, and Edward Hemmings concluded the night with a certificate presentation.

Edward Hemmings said “Another brilliant workshop providing so much education. It is always an eagerly anticipated event and the atmosphere in our Academy is always packed full of excitement. It was great to see so much variance in men’s hairdressing, including clipper work and scissor over comb. What a great night!”

Another brilliant workshop providing so much education. It is always an eagerly anticipated event and the atmosphere in our Academy is always packed full of excitement. Edward Hemmings – 25TH JANUARY 2017.

Written and Issued by Laura-Jane Upton, PR & Marketing Manager for The Fellowship for British Hairdressing. All event photography by Alphonso Grose.

FOR ALL PRESS & PR QUERIES PLEASE CONTACT LAURA-JANE UPTON LAURAJANE@FELLOWSHIPHAIR.COM
FELLOWSHIP FOR BRITISH HAIRDRESSING, BLOXHAM MILL, BARFORD RD, BLOXHAM, OXFORDSHIRE, OX15 4FF | TEL: 01295 724579 | WWW.FELLOWSHIPHAIR.COM

If you are a barber or just want to come and see the portraits of some of the best barbers in the UK, click on the link to come to the private view in London on 16/3/2017

Thu 16 March 2017
19:00 – 23:00 GMT

A private View and Party

7pm til late

Free: Pizza & Booze

Not Free: Art

Supported by American Crew & BarberEvo Magazine

Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes
32-34 Kingsland Road
London
E2 8DA

To register your FREE ticket, visit here.

BARBER PRO has been nominated for “Best Male Grooming Supplier” in the Guild Awards of Excellence 2017.

The Guild Awards of Excellence have been designed to recognise the suppliers and training schools that people working within the professional beauty industry believe have gone the extra mile.

These are the only industry awards that are not decided by an expert panel so feel free to share the link below to help BARBER PRO.

Vote here.

For motorised fun and utterly flexible convenience packed into a contemporary design, the Inova Ex barber chair is as much pleasure to work with as it is to sit in. This chair is fully motorised with controls on both sides of the chair.

Features include full backwash recline, synchronised extending legrest with fixed footrest, integrated adjustable and removable headrest, lumber support, upholstered armrests, and concealed gown rods.

From £3,895.00// www.takarahairdressing.co.uk

Takara Belmont proudly unveils their brand new showroom, TB Square, in Osaka, Japan. At the heart of a country renowned for its design innovation, the brand new showroom spans five floors, each dedicated to different areas of the hair and beauty industry, offering salon owners interior inspiration, whilst exhibiting Takara Belmont’s continued innovation in the hairdressing sector to professionals.

Highlights in the showroom include the salon interior design ‘Labo’, located on the second floor, where customers can experience different lighting options against chairs and how this can affect the look and space around, as well as looking at furniture upholstery options and finishes available.

The fourth floor is home to a beauty therapy college facility, where customers can take part in training courses, giving them the option to expand their in-salon services,
which could later help increase revenue opportunities.

Once customers have finished exploring the different floors and elements that TB Square has to offer, they can retire to the fifth floor rooftop garden, where they can reflect and relax before leaving.

PRESS ENQUIRIES
For more information or images, please contact:
Vivid PR
Nicola Shepherd
t: (0) 1372 476 364 e: nicola@vividpr.co.uk

Andis Company, an industry leader in barbering and men’s grooming since 1922, announces the addition of renowned barber, Lynndy Rolfe, to the company’s Education Team in its Barber and Beauty Division.

Based in the UK, Lynndy Rolfe is an award-winning hairdresser, session stylist and British Master Barber from Northampton. She began her career in hairdressing fresh out of school when she was 16, working for a local salon group, but it wasn’t until a managerial position came up at the salon group’s barbershop, that she found her flair for men’s hairdressing and barbering.

Stumbling into the barbering world by chance, Lynndy has become a rising star in the industry, achieving British Master Barber status and becoming Men’s Stylist of the Year at the FHA UK Freelance Awards 2016, whilst developing a passion for education and teaching the next generation of barbers. Known in the industry for her positivity, hard-working nature and determination, Lynndy proudly describes her cutting style as “fearless”.

“As Andis continues to build our International Education offerings we are thrilled to add Lynndy Rolfe to our talented team of barbers and stylists. She mixes her strong traditional hairdressing skills with barbering techniques in such a unique way. She is brilliant and determined and I know she will become a huge asset to the Andis Education Team.” says Jessica Zeinstra, Education Manager at Andis.

For more information on Andis please visit www.andis.com