The first Dunedin Free Haircuts and Services for Those in Need event was held in the Carisbrook School hall yesterday, offering free haircuts, manicures, massage therapy and beauty services from professional providers.
Counselling, financial services, smoke alarms and meals were also available for free.
Organiser Melissa Aitken had run 18 of the events in Invercargill over the past 10 years through a non-profit charity and, as Dunedin was a second home to her, it felt right to begin holding events in the more northern city as well.
The most popular Invercargill event attracted 1100 people. Miss Aitken said at the inaugural Dunedin event, attended by about 250 people, about 110 haircuts were provided.
Twenty-five volunteers and about 30 service providers offered their skills and time.
"Parents go without [these services] more than ever so they can afford their children to have these particular services to go to school," Miss Aitken said.
"People that tell you they're living out of their car . . . predicaments they’re in that you wouldn't think [of] in Southland and Otago.
"The whole event is just an afternoon — and it just puts a Band-Aid over the crisis at hand."
Next year's event would be "the same but bigger" and include pre-loved clothing and items and groceries to take home, she said.
Dunedin hairdresser Holly Pemberton, of Bellissima Hair, said she had volunteered at community events while living in the Teviot Valley but found it hard to continue when she moved to Dunedin in 2020.
Miss Pemberton knew about the free haircut initiative through a friend and when she first met Miss Aitken, she told her, "I want in".
"I do run a high-end salon and this is one way that I can give back," Miss Pemberton said.
"I get this opportunity for me to meet and have different chats with different people."
In her chair was Peter Cunningham, of Wakari, who was recovering from a broken leg and had not been able to get his hair cut until yesterday.
"I'm finding it good being here and the event overall."
His 6-year-old grandson had come in with him and had also had a haircut.
