Revealed:
7:30 AM July 14, 2022

An Ipswich-dependent businessman has been recognised with a prestigious award for his distinctive design and style of barbering. 

Ken Hermes, 31, received the Present day Barber Group Hero Award for his combining of reducing hair and giving psychological well being support.

Getting dropped his father to suicide at the age of 15, Ken has been keen to provide support for those people who will need it most.

The freelance barber said: “Immediately after I shed my dad, I failed to really feel like I was able to converse about it.

“But a person day I made the decision to just share my story on a movie blog site. 

“It obtained wonderful feed-back with a good deal of people telling me how much it experienced assisted them.

“I considered to myself, if just conversing about my have encounter can aid, how handy would listening be?”

Ken, who life in Halstead but operates primarily in Ipswich, took a amount of psychological wellbeing courses though a young barber and sooner or later began to stimulate his shoppers to speak. 

He said: “Stereotypically, gentlemen do not chat. Which is why the suicide amount in guys is so significant.

“I wanted to be a location to inspire them to open up up and discuss about their wellbeing.

“I will not likely supply tips if I’m not educated more than enough on the topic. Sometimes that can be genuinely harmful.

“I’ll often go absent and make certain I do my study prior to undertaking that.”

Realizing the difficulties of acquiring his prospects to open up, Ken will usually wait around for them to truly feel snug ample to do so.

“I generally obtain men and women open up up far more when I show my have vulnerability.

“It’s all about developing have confidence in.

“It really is just me allowing people know they can constantly come for an informal chat and a haircut, and then maybe we can commence to guidebook them on the right path.

“I am in touch with a ton of charities and organisations that can assistance, so often I am going to position them in individuals directions.”

On Sunday, he was rewarded for his perform with the Contemporary Barber Local community Hero Award. 

The 31-year-outdated stated: “Contemporary Barber is one of the major sector publications so just to be shortlisted intended so much.

“I was up versus so lots of astounding men and women so I definitely was not expecting it.

“Obtaining recognition from my field peers and market leaders allows me know I am accomplishing the ideal issue.

Hunting ahead, Ken now seems to be to grow both his enterprise and his not-for-gain organisation, The Hermes Venture CIC – founded to give aid for individuals bereaved by parental suicide and to inspire adult men to talk about their psychological well being.

“At the end of the day, becoming a barber is all about currently being part of the neighborhood and being a risk-free space”, he explained.

“To know I’m producing a big difference is fulfilling sufficient for me.”