ON a sunny spring morning out on the rear courtyard of the BreezWay in Dania Street, something great is happening.<\/p>\n
Volunteers from Hair Aid are snipping, shaving and styling new-dos for some less well-off members of our community.<\/p>\n
Darren Dubberley is one of the stylists doing the cutting.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think it\u2019s important to give something back when you can,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a skill, I can cut hair, and it doesn\u2019t take long, it\u2019s only a few hours out of my time, it doesn\u2019t cost me anything and it makes people feel better.<\/p>\n
\u201cA hair cut can make a person feel better and they aren\u2019t judged as harshly by other people in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hair Aid is an organisation with two main causes. There\u2019s an international program of sending hairdressers to developing countries, and a local effort called Community Cuts.<\/p>\n
Mr Dubberley, who\u2019s normal work location is at Eve Salon on Doveton Street North, has undertaken voluntary work for the organisation at the international level, but now he wants to help out closer to home.<\/p>\n
Today he\u2019s given up a few hours to do just that.<\/p>\n
Mr Dubberley\u2019s BreezWay clients come from a range of background and attend the service for many different reasons.<\/p>\n
One of those clients, who asked not to be named, said her main reason for attending the BreezWay was for a meal \u2013 the haircut was a nice bonus, having not had one for a number of months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew these guys were coming and I thought I needed a bit of a trim,\u201d she said. \u201cA haircut is as good as a holiday. They\u2019re doing quite a good job, I can feel the difference already.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve gone for a sort of messy, spiky, short look, something manageable with the warmer weather coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thea Burns works as an educator with Federation University where she teaches the art and skill of hairdressing.<\/p>\n
Like Mr Dubberley, she also enjoys the positive community aspects of Hair Aid.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great thing to do, to give back to the community and to provide free haircuts where needed,\u201d Ms Burns said.<\/p>\n
Normally her students would be involved in this kind of effort as well, although with classes on they were unavailable this time round.<\/p>\n
Ms Burns said involving hair and beauty students in programs like Hair Aid was important for their development and something they were more than willing to take part in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re always doing voluntary things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey jump up and they\u2019re always there. I usually find people are more than willing to come and help out and do things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hair Aid plan to be at the BreezWay every six weeks and Mr Dubberley said the group would also look for other opportunities to undertake outreach work in the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ON a sunny spring morning out on the rear courtyard of the BreezWay in Dania Street, something great is happening. Volunteers from Hair Aid are snipping, shaving and styling new-dos for some less well-off members of our community. Darren Dubberley is one of the stylists doing the cutting. \u201cI just think it\u2019s important to give […]<\/p>\n