Call for hair volunteers
Emma O’malley and Grace Poston-miles volunteer to give homeless people in the area a haircut which could ‘change their lives’.
‘Haircuts4homeless’ is a registered charity set up by experienced hairdresser Stewart Roberts. He was inspired by the work of hairdressers in other areas of the world cutting hair for the homeless, so he decided to set out not only to do this himself but to build a whole community of skilled hairdresser volunteers who give their time to help.
Grace Poston-miles is the leader of the Chichester and Bognor sessions. She also owns her own salon in the area, called Grace Hair and Beauty. Emma O’malley also helps out in the sessions and owns Emma O'malley Hair & Beauty in Midhurst.
Emma O’malley said: “I have volunteered with her (Grace) from the start. On 6th July 2021, we started it up in Chichester. At the start, we had a lot of volunteers, but today it’s not as easy to get people to volunteer. For whatever reason there’s only a few of us left.
“The sessions run every first Wednesday of the month from 2 to 4pm at Stonepillow Chichester, second Wednesday of the month, 1-3pm at Bognor Stonepillow. It’s not something that you have to commit to every month, just to do or twice a year would be fabulous.
“This is an opportunity to give a couple of hours to really help people in a difficult place.
"Something as simple as a haircut can be life-changing, just think about the need to look your best for that potential job interview which can be the gateway from a cold pavement to a warm bed.”