Railway station to be cut above the rest to prompt mental health conversations

Wales’ busiest railway will be a hair raising experience on Wednesday (April 13) as part of an initiative by a mental health charity.

The Lions Barber Collective, a mental health charity and international collection of barbers who have come together to help raise awareness for the prevention of suicide, will be coming to Cardiff Central railway station this Wednesday to run a free pop-up Barber shop.

Having been trained to recognise and engage people in conversations around mental health, they will be at the station with two chairs set up within the concourse between 9am-4pm, offering free haircuts to customers and colleagues whilst having conversations to promote positive mental health.

Josh Hopkins, Head of Safety and Resilience at Transport for Wales, said: “We’re delighted to be taking part in this initiative with the Lions Barber Collective.

“With thousands of people travelling through Cardiff Central every day it’s the perfect location to reach as many people as possible and spark a discussion about the importance of looking after your mental health.

“At Transport for Wales the safety of our customers and colleagues is our number one priority and we are committed to working closely with mental health charities and organisations.”

The Lions Barber Collective were founded by renowned barber and public speaker Tom Chapman in 2015. They now lead campaigns for the awareness of mental wellbeing and suicide prevention, after Tom sadly lost a friend to suicide.

Tom has since made it his life’s work to address the stigma and issues surrounding suicide, believing that the barbershop acts as a great, safe place for men to talk.

Photo credit: Transport for Wales

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