A barber shop teamed up with Enfield Council and community groups to offer free haircuts to young people, to help make them feel they are in tip-top condition.
The Gentleman’s Barber in Southgate worked with Enfield’s Youth Services team to offer haircuts on Sunday 19 September, to young people aged 7 to 18 years who are in receipt of free school meals, identified as “at risk” or who have other financial needs.
Enfield Council contacted a number of community groups to identify young people to take part and also promoted the offer through its Youth Activities portal, a hub that has lots of information about events, workshops and youth groups in Enfield.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Cllr Mahtab Uddin, said: “The simple act of offering a free haircut will make many young people feel like they are valued and will help to develop their confidence. One of Enfield Council’s key priorities is to empower young people and to reduce inequalities in the borough, which is why we jumped at the chance to team up with The Gentleman’s Barber for a day. I would like to extend my thanks to The Gentleman’s Barber who offered their premises and expertise for free.
“This follows on from our initiative over the summer to offer free activities to young people and to distribute school uniform vouchers ahead of the start of the new term to those most in need. Looking ahead, we have some exciting projects to help create a fairer and more equitably community for Enfield’s young people. This includes a social prescribing programme with Enfield Voluntary Action to encourage young people to look after their wellbeing by taking part in physical activities. These projects are ways in which we are facing the challenges outlined in the Poverty and Inequality Commission Report.”
The Enfield Poverty and Inequality Commission Report is based on an independent commission to help Enfield Council better understand the causes of poverty and inequality in Enfield and to find local solutions. To keep up to date on the Youth Services Team’s activities, follow the Youth Enfield Instagram page @Youth_Enfield or sign up to Enfield Council’s newsletters at www.enfield.gov.uk/enewsletters .