A BRADFORD barber shop offered free haircuts to the city's homeless people to mark World Mental Health Day and World Homeless Day.

Youth Cutz is a social venture that was launched to tackle the stigma surrounding men’s mental health through the art of barbering.

Muhammed Ali Islam, co-founder of the initiative, felt it was important to acknowledge World Homeless Day and offer support to the community.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Muhammed Ali Islam, co-founder of Youth Cutz Muhammed Ali Islam, co-founder of Youth Cutz (Image: UGC)He said: “October 10 was World Mental Health Day but it was also World Homeless Day and it’s important for us to mark it.

“We can see there’s been a rise in homelessness in Bradford and we went to the Arches in the city centre and gave out free haircuts.

“It was really moving, we spoke to one man and he told us how the pandemic made him homeless, he was made redundant and he’s sat under the Arches hoping people help him.

“It was a privilege to speak with him and I find people try to avoid homeless people but they need someone to talk to as well.”

This project was only able to go forward due to the support from VCS alliance, Manningham Wellbeing Hub, and Mary Magdalene CIC.

Offering the free haircuts was a one-off, but Youth Cutz is hoping to do more of this work in the community.

“We want to reach out to foodbanks so that when people come for food, they can also get a haircut," said Muhammed.

“We already work with JKN Outreach, but we hope to reach out to other foodbanks to offer this service.”

Youth Cutz holds a weekly session at Mary Magdelene CIC, which sees 20 to 30 young men coming together to talk about their struggles in a safe space.

The foundation of the barber shop is built on trust and making it a safe space for young people to speak their minds without judgment.

“Youth Cutz is about getting rid of the stigma around the topic and we’re really open, it’s about reading the service users and leading the conversation in that direction," said Muhammed.

“A typical haircut lasts around 20 minutes, but if the conversation is flowing and we’re getting somewhere, I can make the haircut last longer to keep the conversation going.

“It’s a really important service and we’ve got a lot of projects we’re working on and things we want to do.

“Our main message is for young men to know that it’s okay not to be okay.”