Hair & Beauty Charity reports rise in young people requesting help

There has been a startling 1,200% rise in the number of people aged 18-30 asking for help from the Hair & Beauty Charity over the last five years. Plus, there has been a 300% rise in male applicants aged 31-40 since 2019, and an influx of requests from beauty therapists.

Prior to this time, most applicants were significantly older, primarily requesting help as they were unable to work due to illness, the charity has reported.

While there has been a reduction in mental illness cases (down 43%), which peaked during the 2020-2021 lockdowns, the charity is seeing a shocking rise in the number of applicants requesting financial help after fleeing domestic abuse or being unable to work due to the trauma resulting from a sexual attack – a 120% rise from 2020 to 2023.

As a result of these figures, The Hair & Beauty Charity has launched its Supporter’s Campaign and is asking every salon, freelance, and self-employed professional to join and give a monthly donation from just £5 to allow it to continue its vital work.

As a micro charity, the Hair & Beauty Charity is run by volunteers from the sector to provide practical and financial support to hair and beauty professionals who have fallen on hard times due to no fault of their own. 

It supports them and their families, not their business, nor repays any debt, and is often the last hope for these people who have exhausted other options. It aims, where possible, to provide the support needed while these beneficiaries get back on their feet and ultimately, back to work, which is what the majority want, and are able to do.

The Charity offers support by giving regular financial support to help with everyday home running costs and will provide clothes, toys, and furniture including beds, carpets, and washing machines for example, if required, especially for those families needing rehousing.

The generosity of charity sponsors and industry contacts allows them to replace professional kit items where necessary and offer opportunities for refresher training and mentoring sessions.

Charity manager Natalie Merola said: “The work of the Hair & Beauty Charity is vital in helping friends and colleagues in the industry, and we know we are only scratching the surface. 

She added, "As a female-dominated industry, the rise in domestic abuse cases is particularly shocking, as is the number of young people in serious financial difficulty. 

"Thankfully for most people we offer temporary support when they need it the most, helping them to get back on their feet into permanent work. For others we are there to help at their most difficult times – through the loss, both mentally and financially, of a partner and providing days out for children to make memories before losing a parent.”

The charity is funded purely from within our industry, through corporate sponsorship and salon/individual contributions via regular monthly subscriptions or fundraising activities.