Haircuts4Homeless charity event gives free haircuts for homeless Southsea locals

The event, ran by Haircuts4Homeless, was held at St Simon’s Church, Southsea, which put on a spread to feed everyone who attended.

Since the charity’s establishment in 2014, more than 40,000 haircuts have been given so far across the 63 projects running in the UK.

Luke Myers, one of more than 600 volunteers working with the charity, said he saw the charity and thought it was amazing so he had to get involved and hopes to be more involved as time goes by.

He said: ‘I want to help and spread joy to as many people as I can.’

The charity, which plans to join up with The Samaritans in the next few years, was set up to boost the self-esteem of homeless people across the UK by providing them with free haircuts given by skilled hairdressing volunteers.

Mr Myers, who recently made the transition into the hairdressing industry, said: ‘Making others smile is why I wanted to get into this industry.’

The 30-year-old former Highbury College student said: ‘I have struggled with mental health myself and hence why I started the career change.

‘I’m only at the start and have so much more to learn but [it] doesn’t mean I can’t make people smile.’

The founder of the charity, Stewart Roberts, said he plans to ‘escalate [the charity] further in the next five years’.

On the Southsea event, he said: ‘It’s a great place’ and there were around 60 to 80 people there.

The event, which takes place on the second Sunday of each month, has been running for around two-and-a-half years in Portsmouth and five years nationwide.

To get involved or donate to the charity, visit haircuts4homeless.com.