Glasgow salon offers haircuts for homeless people By Claire Diamond

BBC Scotland News Published duration 3 February 2019

image copyright Susan McGorm image caption Susan McGorm and Sinead McGranaghan have offered free haircuts to homeless people

A hairdresser has opened up her salon to offer free haircuts to homeless people.

Susan McGorm, 34, is offering the cuts on Sunday in the hope that the small gesture will "perk up" the people who take up her offer.

Ms McGorm said she wanted to do something to put out some "good karma" and help in whatever way she could.

She said seeing people on the streets had "spurred her on" to do something in her local community.

image copyright Susan McGorm image caption Susan McGorm has opened up her salon to offer homeless people, like this client, free haircuts

"You just feel terrible for them, a haircut might perk them up and make them feel more presentable", she said.

"I was trying to think what I could do to help, other than donating money."

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The salon, in the Broomhill area of Glasgow, is not currently open on a Sunday.

By mid-afternoon nine homeless clients had visited. She now plans to run the event monthly.

Speaking between haircuts, she said: "It's been a great success. We will definitely do this again.

"The smiles on their faces made it really worth it.

Back on track

"Things started off slow so we were panicked for the first hour that no one would come.

"But today we've had quite a few people in, including two young girls with their support workers. One was just a teenager who had no family, but she's trying to get her life back on track.

"She said after her haircut she felt so much better about herself."

She had toured the city centre and the west end on Saturday night - along with friends, family and colleagues who are supporting her endeavour - to speak to people on the streets and tell them about the free haircuts.

The group had prepared 50 care packages - each one containing a leaflet about the service, hats and scarves and sandwiches supplied for free by local cafes.

image copyright Susan McGorm

They also lined up a buffet - supplied by a local Morrison's - and hot drinks for the customers who come along.

She added: "I have been working in west end since I was 19, and I wanted to put some good karma out there."