Lions Barber Collective Podcast

Torquay-based local community group, The Lions Barber Collective [LBC], is celebrating the launch of their new podcast series, encouraging men to talk more openly about their mental health.

Award-winning mental health campaigner and barber Tom Chapman has written books, delivered TED Talks, presented an Amazon Prime documentary, and been featured all over the international press.  In his latest project, Tom has launched a series of podcasts as part of his wider project towards tackling the stigma towards mental health.  The podcasts aim to shine a light on the importance of speaking up and showcase the fact that mental health is important and it can affect anyone at any time.

He said: “As a barber or hairdresser you become a bit of a social chameleon, adapting to whoever is in your chair while learning so much from people at the same time.  It is a pretty privileged position in society and people speak to us about everything. We are part of their journey, sharing the most important parts of their lives, first dates, proposals, weddings, birthdays, job interviews, births and even funerals – I feel like my chair is the perfect place to hold some powerful conversations.”

The podcasts are set in a virtual barber’s shop, meaning guests of the podcast will feature from anywhere around the world and join Tom for a conversation on how mental health has affected them.

He said: “I think it’s a way for people to connect with others in this time where we can’t actually talk to people in real life – it’s a great way to share stories.”

Tom’s podcast, ‘Barber Talk – Tales from the Chair’ launched on 4th February and is available to listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

https://open.spotify.com/show/4u97PBEtYOYcwTsxzlHlRA

Episode 1, series 1 is with former England and Liverpool goal keeper Chris Kirkland here>>

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1rt9xqkntWqVYDC0KkaV65?si=Ni81f_q8SrG4yyuYcnH1OA

Howard Mortgages and Orestone Wealth Management are delighted to sponsor Lions Barber Collective again in 2021 and support Tom Chapman as a valued client.

The group, will use the sponsorship to continue to raise awareness deliver their BarberTalk training to hair professionals across England.  BarberTalk is a bespoke training program for Barbers specialising in suicide prevention and teaches them how to spot the signs of mental health difficulties.

The group has a vision of a world free from suicide. Their mission is to create non-clinical non-judgmental safe spaces where people feel comfortable to open up and talk about mental health, being able to signpost them to support and information. This is achieved through pop up barbershops in public spaces, public speaking, events and BarberTalk and BarberTalk Lite training.

BarberTalk is a four-hour training session, endorsed by the UK Hair and Beauty Industry Authority (HABIA) the aim is to train hair professionals how to recognise the signs that someone may be struggling, how to ask the right direct questions, how to listen with empathy, and how to direct people to help.  BarberTalk Lite is a free online alternative to the BarberTalk training.  Once people have completed either BarberTalk or BarberTalk Lite, they are added to our Lions Map so that people know where they can find a safe space. BarberTalk Lite is free and can be accessed by anyone, anywhere in the world, via The Lions Barber Collective website. The in-person training can be accessed on Eventbrite.

Earlier this year, The Lions Barber Collective released their powerful documentary, The £1.7 Million Haircut, to help highlight their work and the devastating impact of suicide. It is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, and the BarberTalk app is available through Google Play and the App Store.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, The Samaritans are available online for support or can be reached, anytime, by calling: 116 123.