Nailing a record Staff hoping to polish thousands at O2
A team of Perth nail technicians is joining in a bid to paint more than 6000 people’s nails this weekend as part of a world record attempt.
Nicola Green and staff at Coco Blush salon are taking part in the record attempt on Sunday, April 2, at the Intercontinental Hotel at the 02 in London to raise money for mental health charities Mind and the Samaritans, alongside hundreds of other nail stylists from across the UK.
The whole event, which they are calling Nailing Mental Health, is being organised by Stephanie Staunton, who Nicola met at London Fashion Week.
Nicola said she was keen to get involved as soon as she heard about it.
She told the PA: “We are joining in with 300 others to paint 6,078 sets of nails in eight hours down in London.
“The girl who organised it wanted to recognise how big an issue mental health is, so the 6,078 sets is for each person who took their own lives in 2015.
“The overall target to raise is £30,000 because at the moment there are not enough funds for the charity Mind to meet demands and they have a two week waiting list.
“Mental health is an important part of all our lives and we all know people with mental health issues so we were keen to support it.”
The girls from the Atholl Street salon will be giving shape and polishes for £5, and it has already been well advertised in London, and they are hoping a number of school and college groups come along to get their nails done.
Nicola added: “If we get bums on seats, we can achieve this record because there are enough technicians taking part - we are trying to reach out to as many people as possible at the moment.
Coco Blush therapists Hannah Lister, Nikki Stirton and owner Nicola Green
“We are all really excited about it because it is a huge opportunity for us. I have met a few people from the industry down there so now the girls can get the opportunity to meet some of the big businesses and brand leaders in London.”
On Mind’s website, the organiser Stephanie Staunton, who suffers from bipolar disorder, wrote about her own struggles with mental health and suicidal thoughts.
She said: “I’m so hopeful that we can break down the prejudice around mental health.
“On a personal level, I want to be able to talk openly about mental health without any anxiety setting in. The event is a way for people to heal, feel and learn.”
The money raised by the Perth team and the other nail painters will go towards paying for interim treatment, as the current NHS waiting list for mental health is 12-18 weeks, and you can donate to them at www. gofundme.com/nailingmentalhealth.