Whitley Bay salon aims to break down inequality

Finch salon's Amy Bishenden and Katie Raven.

Finch hair salon has opened in Whitley Bay with the ethos of offering a safe space to be without any prejudices regardless of race, gender, disability or sexuality.

The North East business has been established by professional stylist Amy Bishenden, working with her partner Katie Raven. Amy has previously worked for national salon chains in London and the south of England and is L'Oréal trained.

The salon aims to lead by example in the fields of inclusivity with gender neutral pricing, to counteract the traditional method of women being charged one price and men being charged at usually a lower price.

Finch has a number of eco-friendly features including LED lighting, biodegradable towels, glass containers rather than plastic and all products are sourced locally wherever possible. The salon uses Kevin. Murphy products with vegan options. Finch is also working with The Green Salon Collective who facilitate salon sustainability by recycling the unrecyclable, with profits redistributed to benefit charities and local communities.

Commenting on the launch of Finch, Amy Bishenden says:

“Finch's company ethos is all about treating everyone the same whether they are straight, gay, transgender, disabled or they simply feel that they are different to other people. It really doesn't matter as we are all equal. 

"Not everyone is comfortable going into a salon especially if the world regards them as ‘different'. I want all of my customers to be free to express themselves and to be comfortable in their own skin when they come in for a haircut."

Amy adds:

"It's strange to have opened Finch at a time when most other businesses are closed but what we do is an essential service and it's about making people feel good about themselves irrespective of their sexuality, race, disability or gender. It's lovely to see our client base coming from all parts of our community and long may that continue."