A pair of scissors and the relentless pursuit of a perfect haircut is offering some of Belfast’s homeless community the hope of a better life.
Jay Millar will use his skills as a top barber to give a number of mainly young men the chance of escaping the cycle of drug addiction and rough sleeping or sofa surfing that blights their lives.
A new ‘academy’ will see around eight or nine people put through a barbering course at a city square which sits at the epicentre of an ongoing debate about how Belfast is dealing with the problems of homelessness and drug use.
Read more: Bank Square Dream Pods face 'planning enforcement case'
Jay’s school of sharp cuts has emerged out of his volunteering every Wednesday at the Hope centre on Chapel Lane on the edge of Bank Square where he already does free haircuts for some of Belfast’s homeless.
He came up with the idea after talking to pastor Brian Madden who runs a kitchen and counselling facility at the old building close to the back entrance into Castlecourt.
Jay told Belfast Live: “I’ve been cutting hair here on every Wednesday for months now and I’ve got to know the guys coming in, got to understand something about their lives. I just wanted to give them something to live for, something, like a skillset they could have to offer them some kind of hope of making a better life for themselves.
“As soon as I suggested it there were loads of them asking could they get on it. They are just buzzing about it and can’t want to get started. These are people that have nothing. If I can just give something back that’ll be brilliant. It’s like the bible story of either giving a man fish or actually teaching him to fish so he has a skill for life.
“I appreciate there’ll be challenges, but we’ll take things one thing at a time, baby-steps at first. But I won’t hesitate to fund a shop in the town here and we could have these guys cutting hair in the city centre. That would be great.”
Brian Madden said the scheme could give people “trapped in addiction” a chance.
He added: “Quite often we see people either come out of rehab but there’s nothing there for them so they fall back into their old ways or they just won’t do rehabd because they know themselves they’ve nothing to live for at the other end. Something like can give people something to live for, a focus, a skillset which they can use to maybe even start a wee business.
“It was Jay’s suggestion. But the lads when they heard about it jumped at the chance. They just lit up and they haven’t stopped messaging me to see when it’s starting. We have eight or nine signed up already and are hoping to get it started on a Friday night in the church.”
Brian uses the centre which sits on the side of an centuries old Presbyterian church to offer the homeless a hot meal as well access to counselling and rehabilitation services.
READ NEXT:
- Charity offering £10,000 prize for 'city of the future' design
- Belfast Cleansing Task Force needs "broader approach" to "Dirty Belfast" says member
- Belfast Gasworks development approved paving way for more homes and hotel extension
- 'Horrific' scale of self-harm cases at hospitals in Northern Ireland
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
