Award nomination for Lions Barber Collective founder

Tom Chapman, founder of mental health charity The Lions Barber Collective, has been nominated for a National Diversity Award.

As a nominee in the category of Positive Role Model, Tom will learn whether he has been successful at an awards ceremony due to take place at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in September.

The charity was founded by Tom Chapman (pictured) in 2015 after he lost a friend to suicide. The Lions Barber Collective (LBC) has a vision of a world free from suicide by creating non-clinical, non-judgemental safe spaces where men feel comfortable to talk about their mental health and be signposted to support and information. Hair professional are trained in BarberTalk to enable them to be able to ‘recognise, asks, listen and help' clients and colleagues. LBC hopes to train every hair professional in the UK and beyond in BarberTalk, aiming to eventually make it a mandatory part of the hair and beauty curriculum.

Since its inception, Tom has worked tirelessly to establish the charity, giving up his salon to devote his time to suicide prevention and training over 200 barbers.

Commenting on his nomination for a National Diversity Award, Tom Chapman, founder of The Lions Barber Collective, says:

“I can't quite believe it! When I got the email through to tell me I was nominated I was shocked! To be nominated for a huge national award in the positive role model category isn't something I was expecting, I'm used to being inside the hair and beauty industry bubble. The nomination alone is a huge accomplishment.”

The National Diversity Awards receives over 28,000 nominations and votes annually. Founder and CEO, Paul Sesay, comments:

“As we enter our 9th awards season, The National Diversity Awards prepare to welcome a host of outstanding role models and charities to our family. We look to those who represent progress, spirit and resilience, and I cannot wait to learn about the wonderful work being carried out this year.”

ITV News will be working in association with The National Diversity Awards to highlight role models and community organisations on regional and national news channels.