After Covid, everyone thought most men’s first port of call was the pub, but actually most men wanted to visit their barber. The barbershop is a safe space for men to hangout and chat. There was even a survey that said most men would confide in their barber before their doctor.
In November 2022, we lost one of the Bonds’ family, Lee, to suicide. None of us saw this coming. The barbershop is a safe space for men to come, feel relaxed and get everything off their chest. Lee spent years making his clients feel the best he could, but none of us knew how much he was suffering himself.
As we near the first anniversary of his death, we, as a team want to do something positive for men’s mental health.
Our aim is to raise as much awareness for men’s mental health as we can and help Movember raise as much money as we can.
We are doing this in several ways:
This will all lead to a massive event in one of the partnered bars – Whittles in Broadstone, Horse and Groom Wareham or Alfies Winchester at the end of November.
In these bars, we are hosting a Magnum PI night where everyone is encouraged to wear a funky shirt to help show off their Mo. There will be a Movember cocktail and DJs playing 80s tunes. The next day will be the end of the event and the shave down in the barbershops.
I’ve been involved with Movember since 2012, when I was chair of the British Barbers Association. Back then we used our heavy database to encourage barbershops to get involved with this fantastic charity.
I love Movember because it covers a lot of men’s health concerns and it’s fun – with growing moustaches. It's a charity that sits really well within the barbershop community.
Every barbershop in the country should embrace Movember, as we are in the prime position to get men talking and opening up.