A mobile barber with a twist will offer fresh cuts to men throughout the Northern Tablelands region next week, as part of a trauma and recovery roadshow.
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Walkabout Barber is the first of its kind; a mobile barber, and trauma and recovery service combined into one.
Organised by Armajun Aboriginal Health Service, the roadshow will stop by Inverell, Tingha and Armidale early next week.
The mobile barber service was a brainchild of Brian Dowd, an Indigenous trauma recovery specialist with 16 years experience in social and emotional well-being.
Armajun’s James Sheather said Brian was one of only 42 throughout Australia to hold the qualification, allowing him to provide real help to Indigenous people.
“I’ve known Brian for quite a while, but when I saw the Facebook page I thought ‘wow, this would be a really great thing for our community, especially with these young kids, young men’,” he said.
Walkabout Barber provides a space for cuts, connections and real conversations around healing, hope and happiness.
The experience allows men the opportunity to relax in a chair, receive a fresh cut and connect with their barber to open up a conversation.
“I believe local men will be able to connect with Brian. He is a great bloke and is very passionate about the mental health of his people,” James said.
Just as women go to their hairdresser to “let their hair down” and relax, men are invited to do the same at Walkabout Barber.
James said participants were able to sit in the with barber, get their haircut and talk about whatever they needed to.
“Brian will then do a group workshop with them afterwards, based around coping skills and how to heal,” he said.
Armajun will host a barbecue lunch at all three events and service providers in each location are welcome to join in.
On Monday, January 21 Walkabout Barber will stop by the Linking Together Centre in Inverell from 9am until 4.30pm.
Then on Tuesday, they’ll head to Armajun in Tingha (4 Amethyst Street) before visiting Armajun in Armidale (213 Rusden Street) on Wednesday.
“Walkabout Barber is looking to come back during the Easter holidays to visit Ashford, Tenterfield and Glen Innes so they don’t miss out,” James said.
Participants must complete a small health check questionnaire before having their hair cut. For more information, or if you are a service provider wanting to participate in the day, contact 6721 9777 for Inverell and Tingha and 6772 5258 for Armidale.
