Creative HEAD UK January 2018

The Lions Barber Collective is a mission in two parts. The first
is to raise awareness for mental wellbeing and suicide prevention.
“We have a presence at many events where there may be a high
male percentage attending, such as hair shows, live music and
sporting events,” Tom explains. The second part is BarberTalk –
a bespoke mental health and suicide awareness course condensed
into one day especially for the hair industry.
“The aim is not to turn barbers into counsellors – rather we
hope to give them the confidence to become that bridge between
people and the organisations that are available,” adds Tom.
Matt Robinson, founder of Mister Robinson’s Barbershop in
Rugby, knows what it’s like to experience difficulty as a young
man – during his teenage years he was homeless for a time.
Getting through it inspired him to provide help for men who need
it. “I was a local lad with a darker past, but I had turned the
corner and was walking a straighter path thanks to my faith,”
Matt explains. “I worked in a local barber shop, but I couldn’t do
everything I needed to do for my community. That’s how Mister
Robinson’s started – as a place where people could hang out, be
safe, not feel judged and also get a good haircut. We opened our
doors in 2013 to support our local homeless shelter Hope4, which
was above the shop.”
Matt created The Beard Club to celebrate the men who are
doing great things in their communities, who work to raise money
for charity and to unify men who hold these values from around
the world – it now has more than 5,000 active members.
Mister Quarterly 07