A barber shop in Manchester has started offering £5 haircuts to help their customers struggling with the cost of living.
Founded by an ex-basketball player who once played for the Manchester Giants and London Lions, Northern Quarter barber shop Jefe’s is offering the cut price trims to men and boys struggling to make ends meet.
The barber shop already offers new customers their first trim for £5 (or £10 with a beard trim), however after reflecting on how the cost of living crisis is ‘getting out of hand’ owner Jefe decided he wanted to do more.
Noticing that other businesses are rising prices ‘because they are also struggling’, he commented that it was a ‘vicious cycle’ before adding that ‘a fresh hair cut can boost confidence and self-esteem.’
He continued: “If the weight of the world is getting heavier. this is where people need to know they have someone they can lean on.”
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Tucked just off Stevenson Square on Spear Street, the shop was initially opened after owner Jerelle Okoro retired from sports in 2020.
It made headlines then for launching as Manchester’s first-ever subscription-based barber shop, and now its owner has got the city talking once again with this new affordable service.
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Since launching into the world of barber shops, Jerelle has cut hair for the likes of YouTube boxers Swarms and Fuhad, football reporter Carl Anka and The Voice’s Okulaja.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Jerelle said: “We know everyone’s struggling at the minute and we don’t want people to struggle mentally because they have to sacrifice seeing a friend.
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“The cost of living is getting out of hand, and we’ve noticed that businesses in this crisis are rising prices because they are also struggling too. It’s a vicious cycle.
“A fresh haircut can boost confidence and self-esteem, especially if the weight of the world is getting heavier, this is where people need to know they have someone they can lean on.”
“I’ve always cut hair, due to my frustrations with how other barbers used to treat me,” he explains. “I felt like the art of conversation and service went missing.
“Now, I have a solid team of like-minded barbers that consistently provide a great service and an amazing haircut.”
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“It’s well known in the barbering industry how much impact a haircut can have on people,” he added.
“But that’s not the only thing it can impact, studies have shown men with higher self-esteem perform better in work, act positively, and tolerate frustration much better than those with lower self-esteem.”
Those wanting to book a £5 trim at Jefe’s can do so by texting “Hey Jefe” to 07897022894.
Featured image – Jefe’s
Manchester
Manchester’s Cat Cafe issues lengthy response to anti-industry statement
Danny Jones
Manchester’s soon-to-return Cat Cafe has shared a lengthy statement responding to the recent suggestion made by leading animal charities that their particular line of business should become a thing of the past.
Cat Cafe Manchester (CCM) closed its city centre premises back in January 2021 like so many others suffering from the post-pandemic struggle, but there are still several other feline-focused coffee shops and similar set-ups located up and down the country.
With that in mind and after the Manchester location announced a comeback later this year – in a prime location on Deansgate, no less – the discussion surrounding the niche industry has turned to issues regarding animal rights, welfare and overall quality of life.
However, rather than simply firing back at the likes of the RSPCA and Cats Protection over their concerns and belief that these venues should be “phased out”, the company has come out to agree with their overarching point whilst still assuring that their sites “are different”.
As you can see in an extensive reply, the brand begins by writing: “We are in strong agreement that there needs to be more regulation in the industry, as we believe many cafes are operating in manners that are harmful to cats.”
They detail how they don’t support ventures that operate by simply piggybacking on vital animal rescue procedures, citing that around 90% of the UK’s cat cafes simply ship prospective pets in and out, creating a stressful environment for its furry residents.
In contrast, Cat Cafe MCR go on to insist that “cats in our cafes are pedigree, as they are best suited to an indoor-only environment [as opposed to rescues who often benefit from outdoor time], and they are bred for temperament, meaning our cats need a lot of attention from people, and also enjoy the company of other cats.
“Our cafes have windows for natural light and there is plenty of space off the cafe floor for cats to get away from customers. They are provided with enough resources spread out throughout a very large building to reduce any competitive behaviour. Our cats are never ever kept in cages – as is the case in some Cat Cafes.”
CCM also explained how the behaviour of their in-house cats is analysed weekly, adding that “if we feel any cat in our cafe is not happy and is showing signs of stress, we would immediately remove them from the environment.”
Besides the obvious soothing quality of the experience for regular customers, cafes like theirs and the canine equivalent CuppaPug in Salford are extremely helpful in providing animal-assisted therapy for people struggling with mental health conditions and those categorised as neurodiverse.
Cat Cafe drew their response to a close by inviting both of the charities in question to work with them in creating new guidelines and strict rules when it comes to animal welfare in these spaces.
They concluded by declaring that not only are they “incredibly difficult to run responsibly” when done properly but that “Cat Cafes are not all the same, and they should not be opened without serious thought and consideration for the cats’ welfare.”
We are still unclear as to when exactly Cat Cafe Manchester will reopen but all we know is that the team will be as dedicated to providing an enjoyable experience for both the animals and visitors when it does.
Mini Mancs can learn what life is like for animals at the Science and Industry Museum this spring
Emily Sergeant
Science shows, sensory activities, and a blockbuster exhibition are just some of the things you can do at one of the region’s best loved museums this spring.
With Easter right around the corner, and schools across Greater Manchester and beyond set to be out for the spring break in a couple of weeks time, parents and carers will likely be looking for ways to keep the kids educated and entertained at the same time, especially if those classic Manchester April showers start to show themselves.
Even better if the activities are suitable for mini Mancs of all ages, and you don’t have to break the bank too much either.
By far one of the best places to escape the rain with your little ones in the city centre, the Science and Industry Museum has got a spectacular spring holiday programme packed with all sorts of things to be getting up to.
With the events programme running from Saturday 5 right through to the Easter Monday bank holiday on Monday 21 April, animal-loving visitors will discover what life is like for our furry friends by challenging their sense of touch in a special agility course, and watching live science shows led by the museum’s expert team of Explainers.
Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum has unveiled its spring holidays events lineup / Credit: Science Museum Group
Families can also take a break in the bat cave to learn more about these nocturnal creatures’ super senses, as well as make their very-own bat to take home.
Of course, while you’re there at the museum this spring holidays, it’s the perfect time to visit the Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You if you haven’t had the chance to already, or loved it so much the first time that you’re keen to go again.
If learning about the senses isn’t really your bag though, you can explore five decades of play in the ultimate gaming experience, Power Up, and discover just how far computer games have come over the years.
There’s science shows, sensory activities, a blockbuster exhibition, and loads more / Credit: Science Museum Group
“We’re delighted to be celebrating the senses this spring,” commented Chris Hill, who is the Public Programmes Producer at the Science and Industry Museum.
“We’re inviting everyone to see the science in the world around us by learning something new about your furry friends at home or creatures that live around the world. From tasting like a bee, being sneezed out of a giant nose, or testing your reaction times in Power Up, it’s going to be sense-sational.”
Georgina Pellant -
24th April 2023 
