Our stylist Jade has proved herself a cut above the rest after jetting out to the Philippines to teach underprivileged young adults who live in villages all over the Philippines.

Jade Lawri, with support from our salon owner Daniel, took two flights totalling 20 hours to the capital Manila, and an additional two hours drive to the ‘Hermann Gmeiner Training Centre’ in Lipa City– where she volunteered a fortnight of her time to teach wannabe hairdressers how to colour, cut and style hair.

Jade gave up her holiday time to train more than 20 locals who are all getting ready to leave their communities. This initiative is designed to set them up for life so they can provide for themselves and their families.

Jade said: “This was a trip of a lifetime. I was in Northampton one minute, and then in the middle of the Philippines. Working with these individuals, many of whom have had such an incredibly tough start in life, was so humbling.

“Their way of life was so different to ours. Nearly everyone lived in cramped huts with metal roofs, and they cooked on open fires. Arriving there was really scary – a landslide had just happened, so many buildings were torn down, and an earthquake was still happening, so the devastation was awful.

“One lady, a single mum, joined my course and told me her house had recently burnt down. This course was all about giving her the hairdressing skills she will need to provide for her three children and get her life back on track.”

The trip was made possible thanks to support from Schwarzkopf and Henkel and Jade’s boss Daniel Granger, owner of the Abington Street salon in Northampton town centre.

Jade funded this trip herself with the help of donations, generously provided by family, friends and salon customers. The trip was organised by Shaping Futures, a charity set up by Schwarzkopf Professional, which is a worldwide social initiative dedicated to teaching disadvantaged youngsters the craft of hairdressing so they can forge a brighter future for themselves.

As part of Jade’s trip, she taught skills such as full head colours, highlights and balayage techniques, along with basic cutting skills and styling.

Daniel Granger added: “We are really proud of Jade for all the work she has done, and for giving up her precious time to share her skills outside of our salon to those most in need. We’re not a company that sits still, we love getting involved in the community, and this time it wasn’t just Northampton, but across the other side of the world.”

If you wish to donate, and help fund future courses, head to the Shaping Futures fundraising page here: https://www.justgiving.com/shapingfutures.