Liverpool Barber Gives Free Haircuts To The Homeless

Every Sunday, you’ll find Jack Jenkins standing outside the Bombed-Out Church, at the top of Bold Street, giving free haircuts to the homeless. But what many won’t know is that the self-taught barber was himself homeless for a while when he was very young.

Jack was left to fend for himself at the tender age of 15, following the break-up of his parent’s marriage. Jack, from Childwall, told the Liverpool Echo: “My mum and dad split up when I was young and while they’ve both tried to do the best by me, it affects children in different ways and I took the negatives from it. I got in with the wrong people and I was easily influenced so I started skipping school.”

“My mum as a single parent couldn’t cope anymore so she kicked me out. I was 15 at the time and I didn’t have anywhere to go so I was just out and about with my bags, couch-hopping and walking the streets at 4am for something to do. After a few weeks my nan and granddad took me in, they’re like saviours to me. They got me into college and into a job.”

Two years later, Jack moved into his own flat and began his journey to becoming a barber – he opened his own salon by the age of 23. Jack said: “I quickly fell in love with making people look and feel good about themselves and I’ve been working six days a week for the past six years, building and building to where I want to be.”

“The main reason I started helping the homeless was because one day I walked past a man lying on a piece of cardboard in the street bleeding out of his eyes and ears. And I thought to myself why are you looking down at these people when you can help them?” He added: “You’ve got to be really patient with the homeless and understand that they may not have had the right upbringing or lived the right life.”

Jack, who now works at Crew barbers on Smithdown Road, is leaving Liverpool in January to go travelling as a barber in Melbourne. On leaving he hopes that people in Liverpool will continue the work he has started.

Jack works alongside the charity Helping Hands who distribute bowls of Scouse and bread to the homeless outside the Bombed-Out Church every Sunday from 6pm until 8.30pm. If you would like to help Jack or to donate any toiletries, clothing or sealed food items then follow his Instragram @jackjenkinshair or ring him on 07405743580.