This amazing barber gives free haircuts to the homeless!

by Megan Skews@MeganSkews23 485 0

This kind-hearted barber, Josh Coombes, has been giving free haircuts to the homeless people of London, in order to raise awareness about, well, humanity.

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His idea #DoSomethingForNothing came from a trip to New York where he learnt of a similar scheme and decided to start it back in the Uk with his business partner.

Famously known as the ‘hairdresser for the homeless,’ the pair documents their sessions on Instagram using the #DoSomethingForNothing hashtag and are hoping to inspire others to do more of these unselfish acts.

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This is Paul, 54 years old. I found Paul sat down on The Strand, one of the busiest streets in Central London. I wandered how many people he must see walking by each day. As soon as I approached him he gave me a big smile and I knew I'd enjoy getting to know this man. Paul was born in Yorkshire, he's been homeless for the last five years. After working as a mechanic for the majority of his career in the north of England, he moved up to Scotland to enjoy the next chapter of his life. Unfortunately things didn't work out quite as easy as he'd thought. Paul struggled finding work and when the money he had saved ran out he could no longer pay his rent. This led him to his first night on the street. Paul told me he got a cheap bus down to London, mainly because of slightly warmer climates and a new experience. He's been on the street here for the last few months and is hoping for a break soon, to get back on his feet again and back to a life he once knew. Meeting Paul was an experience I won't forget. We sat down and shared stories for an hour after his haircut and I couldn't have felt happier in his company. I could feel his confidence had increased ten fold. I thanked him for spending his time with me and letting me help him, doing what I love ✂️ #DoSomethingForNothing

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“For me, it is about giving something back and raising awareness of the homeless and by doing it on the street, it breaks the generalisation and so far it has been a good response,” Josh said, “Doing something good for nothing really wakes people up. It is just me giving up a bit of my time, it is a great experience and it is really humbling for me,” he said.

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@DoSomethingForNothing || This is Paul, He's been homeless in and off for years now. Paul was in tears at more than one point during his haircut. He told us he was violently attacked hours before we bumped into him, because he threw himself on top of a friend to protect him from a beating. He took it instead. We could see his legs, hands and head were extremely sore and bruised from where he had been repeatedly hit with bottles. In this moment I believe Paul's willingness to defend a friend means he's probably out classed most of us. Profoundly moving. You can't fix everyone. But for the time we are with them we can listen, we can hear their story, we can love them, we can be bringers of compassion and dignity. Paul's haircut made him happy, I could feel his appreciation as we embraced at the end. Myself, @daveburt & @mattspracklen left him smiling. I told him I've he's hairdresser now and that he'll see us all again soon. Share your own stories on #DoSomethingForNothing – you might not be able to cut hair, but you can use your time and your own skills to make a difference to one person.

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Josh approaches the homeless by telling them about himself, what he does and after hearing him out, if they agree to get a haircut, Matt shoots the whole process and uploads it on Instagram.

It’s been more than a year since Josh has been cutting hair for free. He says, “When they look in the mirror in the end…that is the huge part of it. They’re like…okay….I’ve still got it…I’ve been tough on myself for over a year, but I can still go for that job interview…I can walk into that place and feel confident to do so,” shares Josh.

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This is Angie, 38 years old. Angie has been on the streets since she was a teenager. She was born into drug addiction and had to fend for herself from a very early age. She spoke to me of her own battle with addiction throughout her twenties. Being around drugs since she was a child, this was inevitable. Angie is an absolute sweetheart, during the haircut she charmed the hell out me and lifted my spirits to another level 🙌🏼 Her bubbly personality was a joy. To see her smile constantly, after the stories she told me is so inspiring. Any petty worries I have all completely disappear when I meet someone like her. Angie's last haircut was about a year ago so it was great to get rid of the spilt ends, making it easier for her to brush and maintain each day. She said – 'Nobody comes to us and does this on the street, it's made me feel really special' – Angie sleeps near Trafalgar Square area with her partner. If you see her, go and show her some love. You'll get it in return ten fold. #DoSomethingForNothing

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This is Zack, 36 years old. This guy has got a smile on his face whenever I see him, so it was really nice to let it shine through with a beard trim! 👍🏼 Such an amazing personality. I was so happy to do this for him, every time I've seen Zack around The Strand in London I always speak to him and offered him a haircut. His response is usually 'Thanks man, but I'm growing my hair out!' Each time I've said 'Hey Zack, is today the day??' And this time he said 'It's time for the beard trim' Zack is one of those people I can tell everybody loves having around. There's a real sense of community to some of the people I meet down in the Charing Cross area and Zack is a constantly bright soul in that party. He has been homeless for years now and smiles like he hasn't got a worry in the world. Makes you question the small things we worry about each day. #DoSomethingForNothing

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This is Westy, 49. He has been homeless for over a decade and spends his days wondering Sydney rather choosing a particular spot. He's originally from North Queensland but hasn't been back in a very long time. When I stopped to speak with Westy he told me he can't even remember the last time he had his hair cut 🙏🏼 It felt like he was somewhere else for the majority of the time I spent with him. Although, whenever I stood in front of him to check the dimensions of the shape as I worked, I made sure I caught his eye and we connected. I guess it's strange to feel you get to know somebody just through looking at each other but it felt that way. When I showed him his new look he was chuffed and joked 'I'm gonna find me a date tonight!' A man a of very few words, but his thank you meant the world to me. #dosomethingfornothing ✌🏼️✂️ #sydney #haircut #street #hairdresser #homeless #hairstyle #sydneylocal #communityfirst #australia #fujifilm

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Brent Lindeque is the founder and editor in charge at Good Things Guy.

Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero, Brent is a change maker, thought leader, radio host, foodie, vlogger, writer and all round good guy.

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