FAQs

Explore the things people ask most. If your question hasn’t been answered contact us for more info.

What inspired you to create this film?

It has been five years since barber and educator Tom Chapman lost a friend - Alex Goddard - to suicide. During this time he uncovered a hidden injustice. That too many men think they have nowhere to turn. That they have no-one to talk to about their mental health. That they are too often lost to suicide (75% of all suicides in the UK are male). You can’t put a price on a life - people are priceless - but you can put a price on a death and it’s a staggering £1.7 million per life lost to suicide in the UK.

This film follows Tom’s story of how barbers can save lives one haircut at a time. Men spend more time with their barbers than their GPs. Tom founded the charity, The Lions Barber Collective to raise awareness of male mental health and to train barbers how to recognise the symptoms, ask the right questions, listen with empathy and help signpost men to local safe spaces. If a life is saved, that’s a £1.7 Million Haircut.

Isn’t talking about suicide a bad idea?

The film team have worked with Dr Peter Aitken, Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist, to ensure that this film carefully and sensitively approaches the themes of suicide and follows best practice in storytelling. Ultimately this film is about hope and a case for change in male suicide prevention. Suicide is a taboo topic for many people. However, by talking about suicide and asking those at risk directly about suicide, we give them permission to tell others how they feel. People who have felt suicidal will often say that it is a huge relief just to be able to talk about what they were experiencing. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. If you or someone you know is affected right now, reach out to someone to talk to at Hub of Hope or locate a Lion in your local area for a safe space.

I think I need to talk to someone. Where can I go for help?

If you can’t talk to friends or family, then your GP, the Samaritans or your local Citizens Advice Bureau are all really good places to start. You can also look on www.hubofhope.co.uk to find out what services are available in your local area. 

How did you go about making this film?

This non-profit film was made with Filmmaker, Josh Pratt and Tom Chapman - Presenter and Founder of The Lions Barber Collective. The entire team and crew worked tirelessly; donating much of their time for free because of their core belief in the story and mission. We are grateful to the locations and venues who also waived their fees, as well as the music allowance from Audio Network. This low budget documentary film was shot over 7 months in locations across the UK and edited in the Films by Wonder studio in South Devon. Any profits made from this film will 100% go directly to The Lions Barber Collective charity to continue work for a world free from suicide.

Does it really cost £1.7 million per life lost to suicide?

The UK Department of Health estimate that the economic burden of each life lost to suicide is estimated at £1.7M. What’s the breakdown? Direct costs i.e. the services used by the person leading up to and immediately following the suicide. This includes, for example, unsubsidised GP visits, prescribed medication, counselling, funeral costs, court costs, use of emergency services, insurance claims and medical services. Then there are the indirect costs i.e. the costs to society of each suicide. These include the time lost from work and lost production from an exit or absence from the workforce. There are also the human costs i.e. lost years of disability free life in addition to the pain and grief experienced by family and friends. You can read the full reports here: UK Department of Health, NHS and Knapp M, McDaid D, Parsonage M - Mental health promotion and mental illness prevention: The economic case. PSSRU, London School of Economics and Political Science

What could The Lions Barber Collective do with £1.7 Million in funding?

We currently lose around 6,500 people to suicide every year in the UK, at an estimated economic cost of £1.7million. If the cost of one life lost was invested in The Lions Barber Collective, the charity could train over 13,000 barbers, potentially reaching 2.2 million people every week with messages of hope. These barbers could be armed with the knowledge of how to help save lives.

How can I help?

Just by watching the film you can help raise awareness of male mental health. Every view generates funding for The Lions Barber Collective charity. You can also:

Donate to the charity online and by text. You can also take part in fundraising, check out this fundraising pack on The Lions Barber Collective website here.

Share awareness online by sharing the trailer on your website and social media with a bit about why you think this film is important #The£1.7MillionHaircut #TheLionsBarberCollective

Host a screening or invite Tom Chapman to talk at your organisation, education setting or community. Fill in the form on the contact page.

If you’re a barber or hairdresser, you can take part in online training, a BarberTalk Live training event and download the new app to help The Lions Barber Collective track how many lives are potentially being saved through the network of Lions.