Haircuts4Homeless launches Crowdfunder for book that will give 100% of proceeds to the charity

The charity Haircuts4Homeless, which works to give homeless people a confidence boost and make them feel less isolated through a haircut, has launched a Crowdfunder page to raise funds for the printing costs of a book, which will see all proceeds going to the charity.

‘Hear Me, See Me’ is a black and white coffee table book designed to humanise and destigmatise homelessness, as well as show the impact that small acts of kindness can have, through thought-provoking words and images shot by hair and beauty photographer Jack Eames.

Almost 100,000 households were reported as homeless at the start of 2021.

Session hairstylist and Haircuts4Homeless volunteer Leigh Keates pitched the book concept, after a touching experience while volunteering:

“Several very close-to-home conversations with the guests had triggered an awakening moment for me, forcing me to realise that I too, had stigmas and stereotypes attached to my understanding of homelessness. This gave me a burning desire to provoke the same conclusion in others,” he comments.

Session hairstylist and H4H volunteer Leigh Keates

Haircuts4Homeless, which was founded by hairdresser Stewart Roberts, needs the funds from the book to continue its work, after losing its lottery funding. The charity has a community of 600 hairdressers across the UK and Ireland that give up their time free of charge and has given over 40,000 haircuts since it was established in 2014.

With 67% of people agreeing that a haircut can improve their mental health, founder Stewart Roberts explains that “this is not just a book, this is not just a haircut, this is a community. A community that creates a space for wellbeing and acceptance and – even if it is temporary – it allows our guests some respite and an opportunity to escape their difficult circumstances.

The Haircuts4Homeless team

“Homelessness is at crisis point in the UK and although we are aware this book is not going to solve the issues, we do believe we can contribute to making a small difference to the lives of these people.”

You can support Haircuts4Homeless’ Crowdfunder and pre-order a copy of ‘Hear Me, See Me’ here: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/haircuts4homeless

Stewart Roberts has also released the podcast ‘Hear Me, See Me’, which tells the incredible stories of some of the people he has met through Haircuts4Homeless. The podcast is available via Acast, Spotify, iTunes, YouTube and Amazon Music.