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Hair & Beauty Charity Record Support

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Following today’s budget announcement, the recognised official charity of the professional hair and beauty industry, Hair & Beauty Charity, has released its current support figures:

Since the third lockdown this January, we have seen a worrying 227% increase in requests for financial support during January and February, based year on year. Even after today’s announcement and the 12th April opening date in the roadmap, we know that our support will be required for months to come. - Hair & Beauty President Samantha Grocutt

Hair & Beauty Charity was first established in 1836 as the Hairdresser’s Orphan Fund and has continued to support hair and beauty professionals who have been affected by illness, disability, bereavement, homelessness, domestic violence, or financial hardship. During 2020, the charity saw an extraordinary 148% increase in requests for help and increased the financial contributions to those in the hair and beauty industry by 70%.

Today’s budget announcement has some positive news for our beneficiaries – especially those who were self-employed in 2019 and have been part of the 3 million who have fallen through the net of government financial support to date. Approximately 62.5%* of the professional industry is working in a self-employed capacity. Our charity has been vital to support for them, so we are pleased that there is now financial support available for those who need it and who meet the requirements for qualifying. However, we also know that many of the beneficiaries we are helping with financial support still may not qualify for the new self-employed support as many were self-employed in July 2020 either by losing their jobs or having their employment status altered. We have ring-fenced funds to continue supporting them.

Further, the news that the sector’s lobbying for a VAT reduction to 5% has not been accepted will also affect salon owners who have been significantly impacted with almost 9 months of salon closure. This cut was previously awarded to the hospitality sector and has now been extended, despite the hair and beauty industry being 1/3 of the size and VAT paying salons employing half of all those people working in the sector. The charity is still very much a lifeline for our industry and will continue to help those in financial need as we have for over 180 years. – Samantha Grocutt

*From Office of National Statistics July 2019-June 2020.  Hair & Barbering is 60% and Beauty 65%

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/relieffund

www.hairandbeautycharity.org