Bury College students receive Cut It Out training

Bury College Hair, Barbering and Beauty students have been learning about how they can protect others from domestic abuse.

The Cut It Out sessions have been designed to help future hairdressers and barbers spot the signs and have conversations with their customers so they can support them.

Councillor Richard Gold, Cabinet Member for Finance and Communities at Bury Council, said: “Hairdressers and barbers are often in a unique position where they can speak openly with people who may be experiencing domestic abuse and provide support.  I’m grateful to the students who have taken part in this training for what is an emotional and difficult subject. They are just part of the jigsaw for tackling this issue and fit with the whole range of services that we provide. One incident of domestic abuse is one too many and we must do all that we can to end it.”

Cheryl Allwood, Service Manager for Bury Safenet, added: “Safenet Domestic Abuse Charity have partnered with Bury Council and Bury College to deliver training for the Cut It Out campaign. The campaign supports hairdressers, barbers, and beauty technicians to understand what domestic abuse is, the barriers victims face in speaking out and how they, as professionals, can support victims and survivors in accessing the support needed to keep themselves safe.

“This is the second year that Safenet has provided training at the college and the response from the students has been fantastic, and we hope to ensure that all salons and barbers have the opportunity to be a safe space for anyone affected by domestic abuse.”

SafeNet Bury supports people in Bury who have experienced domestic abuse to find the right level of support they need to move towards a happier, healthier and more secure future. Find out more here: https://safenet.org.uk/