Double Success for Shaping Futures
The inspirational Shaping Futures volunteer team are back from their trip of a lifetime teaching disadvantaged young people the art of hairdressing in India.
It is seven years since Shaping Futures was piloted by a team of UK hairdressers and Schwarzkopf Technical advisors in India (2010), and since that time over 1,700 young, disadvantaged adults have benefitted from this phenomenal social initiative that reaches the poorest young orphans in 25 countries. This year the hairdressing heroes who gave generously of their talent and time were:
Team Mumbai…
- Lauren Tudor, En Route Hair and Beauty
- Rhys Davidson and Gemma Slade, Rhys Davidson Hair Design
Team Delhi…
- Jane DeFrancesco, Jane Creative Hair
- Educator Lesley Mather
This year the UK initiative took on two locations expanding its global connections with social initiatives in both Delhi and Mumbai, and taking Schwarzkopf Professional one step closer to its global goal of providing 100 training programmes in 27 countries by 2020.
The team was led and supported by Shaping Futures’ UK ambassador, Janet Maitland who, having spent three months working and training amongst some of the world’s most needy trainees, brings a wealth of experience along with her career long training specialism and credentials. All of this means that the team of volunteers are equipped and supported to push the boundaries of learning and teaching.
The volunteers were each immersed for two weeks throughout October in top-level training providing the students with the foundations to thrive within a hairdressing apprenticeship in India. Schwarzkopf Professional supports the initiative through skilled trainers and provides the necessary tools: model heads, products, appliances needed to teach a wide variety of hairdressing skills, including shampooing and conditioning, root retouching, various forms of cutting, colour theory and blow-drying. To top off this extraordinary experience, all students take part in a finale hairdressing show to prospective employers and press to showcase their new skills and talent to secure an apprenticeship within the industry.
Ambassador Janet Maitland says,
The team this year worked with a new partnership with Plan International and I have the highest respect for the way that they all pulled together to respond to the huge need of giving people so much less fortunate than ourselves a chance for a new life.