Barbershop Project

East Kent Mind’s Barbershop Project is working with barbers in Thanet, Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay to help them spot signs of anxiety in customers.

Funded through the Kent and Medway Better Mental Health and Wellbeing Community Fund, the project will train barbers to become East Kent Mind Ambassadors and identify signs of depression, be non-judgemental listeners and effective at signposting.

Men are statistically more likely to discuss mental health issues with their barber than with their GP. This places barbers in a unique position to be able to help men battle anxiety and depression.

East Kent Mind is recruiting and supporting barbers as well as supporting clients referred to the organisation through the process.

Research by a barber collective in the West Country has shown that more than half of men surveyed say they feel more comfortable discussing mental health issues with their barbers than their doctors.

Barbers have a high follow-up rate with hairdressing clients – usually every two to four weeks they visit for another cut. This provides opportunities to spot changes in mood or extremes such as too much sleep or not enough sleep, losing or gaining weight.

The project’s training will help barbers to recognise these signs and to ask clients how they are feeling, listen in a non-judgemental manner and be briefed where to signpost. Clients identified as in need are given an information pack with details of East Kent Mind support plus other providers and activities such as Head in the Game and domestic abuse support.

Barbershop Project contact:

East Kent barbers wanting to join the project or fundraise for East Kent Mind to help expand the project, should email East Kent Mind’s Development and Fundraising Lead – simondolby@eastkentmind.org.uk

Simon Dolby from East Kent Mind

Award winning project

Simon Dolby leads the Barbershop Project in both the East Kent Mind and Mind in Bexley operating areas. In Bexley the project has expanded to include unisex salons, tattoo parlours and women’s salons as all these commercial settings offer regular contact with customers enabling staff to support wellbeing.

The project has won a HealthWatch Award and an Innovation Award.