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UK & Ireland News

A Wellness Revolution

Mick Phipps, host and co-founder of  THE PODBARBER’S WELLBEING PROJECT  podcast is channelling his wisdom and energy into a project that will revolutionise school-age mental healthcare forever.  

Mick is working with a local high school to create a safe space where children can share their feelings with appropriate adults, without judgement. 

Mick says, “This was an opportunity to make a difference in my own community. This is the school that I went to and the school my children will attend, and I knew that my platform with the Podbarber Podcast and my place in the community as a barbershop owner could make an impact. I’ve raised over £20,000 in funds and over £10,000 in donated time from tradespeople to make this amazing space within the school – a place where children can talk openly about their feelings. It’s a mental health first aid unit for the student body and the first of its kind in the country. 

The Pandemic has left our youth with huge mental health challenges, and they aren’t being properly addressed. This light, bright space is safe and secure and will serve as a place where children can sit with their feelings in a healthy way, rather than become isolated and end up feeling worse.” 

CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE PODCASTS

Mick is on a mission to arm our youth with the emotional literacy they need to build mental resilience and protect themselves as they grow. He has conducted extensive research and spoken with teachers and mental health professionals to design the space. At a time when government funding is scarce and when 1 in 6 children aged 6-16 have a diagnosed mental health issue, this project will make a real difference.  

Mick adds, “We are creating a place where, in their moment of crisis, children will have the confidence to know they can be supported by a caregiver in privacy and comfort. Conversation really is the cure.” 

Booksy Presents ‘Turn Up the Heat’ night in Bristol 20th June

“Turn Up the Heat – a special night of inspiration for salons, hairdressers and barbers – in association with Wahl”  

Join Booksy in Bristol for the hottest ticket of the summer with a live masterclass from two of the UK’s leading Barber and hairdresser, Alan Beak and Pedro Plastic, plus lots of exclusive content and entertainment.  

It’s time to turn up the heat and step into action so the summer season doesn’t slow you down. Booksy, in partnership with Wahl, invite you to join us for a special night of inspiration, education and entertainment. Here’s what you can expect 

  • A masterclass in hairdressing and barbering from Alan Beak and Pedro Plastic 
  • A presentation from Alice McNails on how to maximise brand partnerships 
  • Access to exclusive offers and incentives from Booksy and Whal 
  • A 3-course dinner and drinks plus entertainment  

This event is absolutely FREE to attend for industry professionals and will fill out pretty quickly so register today to guarantee your seat. 

Venue: Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel 
Address: Broad St, Bristol BS1 2EL 
Date: Monday 20 June 2022 
Time: 7pm – 10pm (doors open at 6:30pm) 

Click the link to book your place.  

New direction for the Fellowship for British Hairdressing

Following its 75th anniversary, the Fellowship for British Hairdressing has unveiled its plans for the next 75 years to come – with new initiatives, a new direction and new faces to lead it into the future. 

With President Robert Eaton at the helm, the Fellowship is embracing the diversity of the industry, the challenges it faces and the opportunities available with the launch of its Executive Board, Fellowship members who have come together to share ideas, inspirations and determination to take the British hairdressing industry to new levels. Each member not only brings a wealth of experience, but will also be responsible for driving the Fellowship forward.  

Robert explains: “The launch of our dedicated Executive Board is about recognising the great work that has already been done, celebrating our heritage and driving the Fellowship forward in a fresh and modern way.” 

The Executive Board members are: 

Rob added: “Hairdressing is an exciting career and our Executive Board want to inspire people both new to the industry and those who have worked in the industry for many years. We will be collaborating and bringing the industry together from all corners of the UK and inspiring, educating and motivating salon owners, salon stylists, freelance independent stylists and barbers, as well as our product houses and our press. Working together we want to re-energise the next generation and make them realise what a diverse, inclusive and exciting industry this really is.”  

Want to get involved? Become a member and be part of the future of British hairdressing. Find out more https://fellowshiphair.com/join/join-the-fellowship

Sign up for an evening with Dove Palmer

Sign up for a dose of inspiration, enjoy a drink and witness a true creative at work… The perfect social night out while picking up incredible skills. 

Combinations, Balance and Proportions, Outlines, Shapes of Disconnection, Placement of Disconnection, Combinations of Disconnection, Movement From Technique, Texturising, Finishing Techniques, Use of Irons, and Product Application. 

Dove Palmer is a true Global leading light in the modern salon industry. He has gained years of experience working with the very best throughout the world with an unmatched reputation for his understanding to the dynamics of haircutting. This led to the release of his education concept: “The MethoD”. 

This blends together the discipline of precision cutting with natural ergonomic form. Doves’ concept focuses on finding our individual strengths and weaknesses and offering guidance in the right direction to unlock our full potential. 

“This concept does not want to change the way you work with hair, but to give you the understanding to develop yourself when we are not with you”  – Dove Palmer 

AN EVENING WITH DOVE PALMER 
MONDAY 23RD MAY 2022 | 7PM-9PM | THE BOX, PLYMOUTH 

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW AT: https://learning.keune.uk.com/learn/evening-dove-palmer 

Need a New Salon Space? HotPatch Has Got Your Back

HotPatch is the go-to platform for those seeking professional flexibility in the Hair and Beauty sector.  

HotPatch allows users to find any space they need, from nail stations to beauty rooms; available in locations all around the country, and bookable on a flexible basis to match their own schedules.  

Likewise, if you’re a salon or nail-bar owner (or an owner of any space, really!) HotPatch enables you to make extra income by making it accessible to a buzzing community of professionals and freelancers.  

Over 60% of the beauty industry are working freelance in the UK, and HotPatch was built to remove many of the obstacles they face and make finding a space to work as simple and smooth as possible. 

Need a more professional location to serve clients from? Planning a long trip elsewhere and want to get a few days work in? Fancy working nearer your clients? Or maybe even a little closer to home? Grow your professional network with HotPatch, and work from a whole host of stunning salons or beauty rooms, all at your fingertips.   

So then, how do you use HotPatch to find your next work space?  

  1. Sign up for free at HotPatch.com, and browse our categories to find whatever space you need. 
  2. Filter Patches depending on your location, availability, amenities and price.  
  3. Click to book, get connected to the host, and that’s it! Simple as that. You’ve found yourself a Patch. 

How do you use HotPatch, if you have space to rent?  

  1. Sign up to HotPatch on HotPatch.com  
  2. List the details of your Patch, such as location, price, amenities, with a brief description of the space. 
  3. Publish that listing and let the Patch community at it!  

And that’s everything there is to it. 

No more scouring the internet to find if a salon has a spare chair, or going from door to door checking availability. Connect with hosts in just a couple of clicks, and work where you want, when you want.  

Say it with us: 
Make Space Work For You.  

Fellowship PROJECT: X spend an inspirational day with Rick Roberts

Award-winning Rick Roberts spent the day with the Fellowship’s PROJECT: X recently where they learnt about texture, curls and coils.  

The team travelled to the ghd Academy in central London with their team leader Sam Burnett for their latest mentoring team day, the latest in their year of education. Rick is no stranger to creating beautiful textured hair images, winning Afro Hairdresser of the Year three times and is now a member of the Hall of Fame.  

Working on mannequin heads, Rick talked to the team about the unique make up of textured hair, and discussed how to bring curls and coils to life.  Then, in the afternoon, they worked on Bantu Knots, twisting and rod setting, seeing for themselves the different curl results and styles possible with curly hair. But importantly, Rick went through the history of curly hair, the history of Afro Caribbean hair and understanding and respecting the curl. 

Team member Tanahya Nash said: “Our PROJECT: X day with Rick Roberts was fantastic. Rick taught us a universal texture cut, braids, twists, Bantu knots and setting techniques. I can’t wait to take what we’ve learned, especially the styling techniques and put them into practice.” 

Justine Weir added: “I had the best day with Rick, as always he delivers, his knowledge and understanding of curls and texture is unbelieveable. The vibes were amazing and everyone was buzzing after it, I really left like  I learnt a lot.” 
 

Chris Donohue commented: “I had a wonderful day with Rick. Textured hair is a hole in my knowledge, so it was amazing to be taught the fundamentals and more.  Rick has a really relaxed way of teaching, and it was a very open conversation.  I now feel more confident and knowledgeable in textured hair and I can’t wait to grow that part of myself.” 

PROJECT: X Team Members:  

Tanahya Nash – Bebop 
Sian Roscoe – Sian Roscoe Hair 
Edd Moss – Headmasters 
Miles Twist – Architect Hair 
Justine Weir – Tweedie & Marshall Hairdressing 
Christopher Donohue – Billi Currie 
Lauren Oram – Matthew Curtis Hair 
Cameron Willetts – Combers Inside-Out Hairdressing 
Sam Arnold – Strangeways 
Kenneth McLeod – My Two 
Lee Patrick Devlin – Blue Tit 
Idalina Domingos – DK UK 

For more information:

Instagram: @fellowshiphair
Call: 01295 724579 
Visit: http://www.fellowshiphair.com

WIN SIMON SHAW FOR A DAY

Here is your chance to win Simon Shaw for a day to do whatever you want him to do…but not in a weird way!  

The Wahl supremo is offering up his decades of experience and knowledge to the winner of this exclusive competition from Wahl UK and BarberEVO. 

Simon is offering a full day of his time to the winner… and it’s up to you what you do with it. You could have… 

  • A day’s staff training at your barbershop/salon. 
  • Take your staff for a day’s training at the Wahl Academy in Ramsgate. 
  • Have Simon work alongside your stylists. 
  • Do some media/press training. 
  • One-to-one training.  

It’s a day for you to get the best out of Simon and tapping into his years of experience. 

Simon said: “I don’t want to put people off by making it a difficult process to enter, so I would like to see a short paragraph (60 words max) telling me what they would love to get from this day. I want to see honesty about how I can help. It would be nice to give someone the mentoring they need to engage their motivation and boost their career aims.” 

How to enter:

Send BarberEVO a short paragraph via Instagram DMs explaining what you would gain from winning Simon for a day. Please keep it brief, (60 words max) and tell us how you would put what you learn to good use in your career. You must tag @barberevo and use the hashtag #shawtimes in your submission.

Pensioner enrols at leading barber academy aged 66

A Scots pensioner is returning to his roots to take up a career in barbering – four decades after first picking up his clippers. 

Refusing to fade away, James Cleland, 66, will train under top barber Kyle Ross after joining the latest in-take of students at the Sovereign Grooming Academy in Glasgow. 

In a varied career, James, from Uddingston in South Lanarkshire, has sold homes for an estate agent, hit the decks as a DJ, had a spell as a disco dancer in Benidorm, and at one time owned a pub and a café. 

Self-employed for the last 30 years, James is now following his dream of putting a mobile hair salon on the road and has signed up to retrain as a barber at Sovereign Grooming’s academy. 

Sovereign’s sought-after intensive course equips students with the qualifications they need to become a barber in just 15-weeks. 

James said: “Some people will wonder why I’m starting out on a new career at 66 but I like to keep busy and I’m definitely not ready to retire. I might be a pensioner but I can’t sit in the house, it’s just not me. You only have one life – live it. 

“I had a two-year spell as a barber when I was in my 20s and it has always been a goal of mine to return to the industry. I’ve been putting it off for a while but it’s finally time to take the plunge and follow my dream.” 

James in investing up to £35,000 in a custom-built van which will be fully accessible to disabled people. He plans to visit retirement homes and elderly care facilities and will also be available for haircuts and grooming services outside gyms and at office and workplaces across South Lanarkshire. 

James added: “The course at Sovereign Grooming Academy was absolutely ideal for me. To be qualified in just 15 weeks is ideal and means I can hit the road in my mobile van as soon as I finish the course. 

“I barbered 40 years ago and have done a bit of hairdressing in my time. More recently I did a stint in a homeless unit cutting hair for free to get some experience – but now I am getting familiar with ‘long cuts’ and fades and I can’t wait to get started properly.” 

James is one of 36 students who will graduate each year at the academy which was founded by award-winning barber Kyle Ross. 

Kyle said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have James as a mature student at the Sovereign Grooming Academy – it really highlights that you’re never too late to chase your dreams. 

“We’re committed to giving our students the best possible experience and by passing down all the tips we can to James, we can hopefully help him on his journey of starting his barbering van.” 

Kyle Ross founded Sovereign Grooming in 2016, opening the first salon on Aberdeen’s Union Street. The booming brand has since opened a state-of-the-art salon in Edinburgh’s New Waverly – followed by a contemporary salon and barbering academy in Glasgow city centre’s Renfield Street. 

He was named Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards in 2017, a year which also saw him named Scottish Men’s Stylist of the Year. In 2018, he was named Best Barber at the Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards and in 2019 was shortlisted for GQ Magazine’s Barber of the Year title, one of only a handful of stylists outside London to have been shortlisted. 

To find out more about the Sovereign Grooming Academy, please visit; https://sovereign-grooming.com/academy 

Sector Trade and Confidence Levels Muted

As the National Hair & Beauty Federation publishes its latest State of the Industry quarterly survey, the report shows some level of hope in the industry, with businesses across the hair and beauty sector only seeing a slight improvement in trade, following the lifting of restrictions across the UK. Now 41% of businesses report being either busy or steady, an increase from January’s report which showed just 13% of businesses reporting a steady footfall. 

The previous survey in January reflected the difficult winter experienced by many businesses and whilst there are some signs of sector resilience, there is still not yet the more confident signs of recovery that we saw in September. 

The latest State of the Industry survey found that: 

  • 44% are breaking even, with 30% making a small or good profit (up from 19%) and 27% (down from 40%) are either making a small or substantial loss. 
  • 43% of respondents raised their prices over the last three months. A further 58% will do so over the next three months. 
  • Reliance on external support has reduced from 81% in January, but is still high, with 58% of businesses either partially or completely reliant on Government support. 
  • The numbers of businesses carrying debt has reduced slightly from 54% in January to 42%. However, 63% say that it will take more than two years to clear. 

Staffing, recruitment and apprentices 

  • Recruitment intentions are static; in the next three months, only 17% are definitely or likely to take on new staff (up slightly from 15% in January and down from 27% in September). 
  • Over the last three months, 16% have cut back on apprentices (18% in January) and only 9% were definitely or likely to take on apprentices in the next three months. 

Looking to the future 

  • Business confidence in the sector has strengthened slightly, with 57% now confident of their survival (up from 40% in January, but not as high as 63% in September) and a significant 38% unsure that they will survive over the next six months until the end of September 2022. 
  • Growth intentions are a little more muted than previous surveys, with 38% saying that they intend to grow their business (down from 42%), 44% to remain the same size and 17% planning to downsize or handover the business, similar to January. 

The latest survey findings show that the sector remains fragile, as it faces a perfect storm of rising costs for staff, energy and supplies. 

“More than a third of the industry is unsure that they will survive over the next six months until the end of September 2022.”

The longer-term future of the personal care sector depends on business owners being able to afford to keep and take on staff. Employment intentions remain flat and there is no sign of a recovery in salons taking on apprentices in the near future. The emergence of a skills crisis is clear as the data shows that current initiatives are continuing to fall short of the mark. 

The NHBF is therefore calling for the following: 

  • An increase in the 50% discount on business rates for 2022-23 and flexibility on repayments of CBILS (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme) and bounce back loans to offer much needed support to those suffering financial hardship. 
  • The reintroduction of the Job Retention Bonus (£1000 per eligible employee) through to the autumn of 2022 to sustain jobs and businesses and restraint on further increases to the National Minimum Wage and apprenticeship rate until such time as the sector can continue its recovery. 
  • More attractive apprenticeship incentives to employers, focusing on the development of affordable apprenticeship schemes specifically for small businesses in order to make it financially viable for them to recruit and retain apprentices. 
  • Continued consultation between the sector and UK and devolved governments to tailor future guidance in a clear and accessible way with more forward thinking to plan and implement any future changes giving businesses adequate time. 

Richard Lambert, NHBF chief executive said: “After a difficult winter for the sector, trade and confidence levels are similar to where they were in July 2021. We are grateful for all the government support provided to the sector to date. However, continued support from each national government is needed through the recovery phase, particularly in the form of incentives for apprenticeships to fuel the future talent pipeline of the personal care sector. With this targeted support, the sector will be in a position to play a key role in sustainable economic recovery, wellbeing and thriving high streets.” 

The survey received 913 responses between 29 March and 6 April. It gathered views from a sizeable representation of businesses in the personal care sector across all areas including city centres, town centres and villages in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. 

Respondents included salon or barbershop owners, chair or room renters, home-based business owners, mobile or freelance practitioners, employers and the self-employed. Over three-quarter (76%) of respondents were salon or barbershop owners, 20% are self-employed individuals and 18% involved in the wider space renting, mobile and freelance part of the sector; this is either the sole focus of their business or in addition to them being a salon or barbershop owner. 

In 2019 the NHBF reported that UK’s 45,000 salon business’ (hair, beauty and barbershops) delivered a combined turnover of £8 billion. 

Introducing Happy Paul: A New Self-Care and Wellness Brand that Supports Men’s Mental Health

A unique and mood lifting fragrance that wants to put a smile on your face. 

75% of suicide deaths are male (ONS, 2020) – it has never been more important to support mental health, especially with men. 

Happy Paul has one mission – to support mental health with self-care and a smile. How? With the launch of an array of self-care products for men that are infused with an award-winning fragrance, Bright Spice. The fragrance aims to trigger a little happy from the outside in with an array of notes: 

  • Top notes: Bergamot, Spearmint, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Pink Peppercorn, Cinnamon Bark. 
  • Middle notes: Frankincense, Petitgrain, Rosemary, Jasmine. 
  • Base notes: Cedarwood, Vetivert, Sandalwood, Musk. 

From an Eau De Parfum and Roll-on Fragrance Oil to Body and Hair Wash, Cleanser, Scrub and Moisturiser, this collection exists to lift one’s mood and encourage a little bit of effortless, everyday self-care. 

Happy Paul was conceived by a not-so-happy Paul (Founder, Paul Gerrard), a lifelong sufferer of depression, and who has spent much of his life looking for happy in all the wrong places. Happy Paul aims to change an ‘all or nothing’ approach to wellness by creating products that encourage simple, rewarding acts of self-care. 

“For me, a smile is the most basic and yet dynamic form of self-care. It is restorative, transformative, and completely contagious.” says Founder, Paul Gerrard. “I set out to create a mood lifting fragrance. That made me feel happy. I hope it makes you feel happy too.” 

A percentage of profits from each sale goes to mental health charity www.youngminds.org.uk – Young Minds is the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health and has a core focus on self-care. 

Happy Paul products are vegan and only tested on human folk. Happy Paul will always intend on doing what’s best for you and your world. 

Let’s put a smile on some faces. 

Happy Paul products are available through selected salon and spas and online at www.happypaul.co.uk