'Pay-as-you-feel' barber wins hairdressing award

Donal O'Leary, a barber from Doncaster, has been named the UK's best barber at the 2024 UK Hair and Beauty Awards. He works at the Apothecary 87 salon in the suburb of Balby and offers 'pay-as-you-feel' haircuts. This means that customers can pay whatever amount they feel they can afford. Donal said he was in shock when he heard he had won the award. He has been a barber for eight years and was encouraged to enter the competition by his girlfriend and family. He said he had always wanted to enter a competition like this but never had the courage to do it until now.

Donal offers these special haircuts once a week to both men and women. He said that with the cost of living being so high, he wanted to give everyone the chance to have a haircut and make them look and feel good. Some of his customers are people who can't afford to pay their utility bills and have to shower at gyms and sports centres. Women, who often have to pay more for styling at female-centric salons, have also used his service. Donal said that for some people, being able to get a haircut for free or for as much as they can afford is really beneficial.

Donal learned to cut hair while he was a student at Trinity Western University in Canada, where he played for the football team. He said that the pay-as-you-feel haircuts are good for the community in Doncaster. He added that he never expected to win the award and that it was something he had been striving for for a while. Donal's initiative has been particularly helpful during the cost of living crisis, providing a vital service to those who need it most. His story is an inspiring example of how one person's efforts can make a significant difference in their community.