Refugee barber gives free haircuts to care home residents

A barber who escaped from war-torn Syria has been saying thank you to the Inverclyde community who welcomed him with open arms, by giving free haircuts to care home residents.

Mounzer Darsani has been offering free haircuts to residents at Bield’s Crosshill Gardens, and for some it was their first haircut since the start of the pandemic.

Gordon Coe, 76, lives at the Port Glasgow development and enjoyed his first trim since 2020.

He said: “I am really happy to have had my hair tidied up. It’s been so hard to get out to the barbers in what has been a tricky past few years. My hair was getting so long, I could have put it in a pony tail!

“I’m very grateful for what Mr Darsani is doing. It’s a lot of effort to come up to Crosshill Gardens and do this completely for free, we all massively appreciate it.”

Mounzer Darsani owns two Orient Salon barbershops in Greenock and the Isle of Bute after moving from Syria to Scotland in 2016.

Mr Darsani said: “The support I had from the local community when arriving in Scotland was astonishing. I felt it was only right to try to give back in a small way.

“I get a lot of enjoyment from talking to customers at Crosshill Gardens and hearing all of their stories so it was the least I could do to help make lives easier for them throughout a pandemic.”

Following the success of the Crosshill Gardens haircuts, he has offered his services to the wider community on the Isle of Bute and is in the process of organising free haircuts at a Bute care home.

Mr Darsani added: “I’ll continue to offer my services to the lovely people at Crosshill Gardens, it’s important to me to always try to make a difference and I hope I have made a positive impact on their lives.”

Bield is a registered charity dedicated to providing flexible housing solutions and support for older people. Bield Housing and Care has around 180 developments across Scotland, providing independent living for those over 50 years old around the country.

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