St Augustine’s open volunteer led salon

Run by volunteers, St Augustine’s Centre has recently opened their own salon to pamper their centre members. From haircuts and eyebrow threading to manicures, the new salon provides free hair and beauty treatments for the men and women accessing the services at St Augustine’s centre.

St Augustine’s Centre, a King Cross based charity working with asylum seekers and refugees, identified that there was a need for a welcoming space for centre members to access hair and beauty treatments for the self-esteem and wellbeing.   

For the men and women at St Augustine’s centre, the salon has become a social space which has allowed centre members to connect, bond and form friendships with one another. The relaxed and social environment has allowed centre members to feel confident and has had had a positive impact on the wellbeing of centre members.

Having an inhouse salon has not only had a positive impact on centre members using the new service but also centre volunteers. Salon volunteers providing hair and beauty treatments have the opportunity to continuously develop their professional skills within the hair and beauty profession.

After a visit to the new salon, one of the female centre members said :

‘I feel like a woman again’

Amber Ray, communications manager at St Augustine’s centre said:

‘Our new salon has had a transformative effect on our centre members – not just in physical terms, but also confidence, community and well-being. Many of our centre members are forced to live on as little as £8 a week, so even basic personal care like haircuts are simply out of reach. This space has allowed us to provide not only those basics, but also the little extras to make them feel pampered and renewed. It has also become a social hub, where people can go hang out, chat and forge new friendships. 

We’re so grateful for the volunteer hairdressers, beauticians and barbers – who are centre members themselves – that make our salon possible!’

Feeling good on the outside can have a really positive impact on mental health and wellbeing.  The new salon at St Augustine’s Centre definitely demonstrates this, offering an innovative and empowering wellbeing service to all who access it.  For more information on St Augustine’s Centre and the new salon, please visit their website https://www.staugustinescentrehalifax.org.uk/

 

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