Three Things I Love: Craig Hollywood’s team gives homeless people haircuts … and so much more

Each week, WAtoday reaches out to the Perth community to discover three things people love most about our coastal capital. Today we feature Craig Hollywood, founder of Short Back & Sidewalks, which provides free haircuts and positive connections to people experiencing poverty and homelessness.

1. Perth is full of people who help others and who give things a go! It’s something I’ve always loved about the place. Whether it’s seeing Kevin Parker from Tame Impala giving his mates’ new band a hand by filling in on the drums down at The Bird, the community getting together to raise money to make sure local independent radio station RTRFM 92.1 operates on the airwaves for another year, or when a new venue opens and everyone gets around it by heading along to support.

The work we do at Short Back & Sidewalks gives not only haircuts but a chance for people to have a conversation, to be listened to, for them to connect more and withdraw less and the results can be life-changing. It started in a car park in Northbridge back in 2015 and has now positively impacted the lives of thousands of people across Australia. Without the support of the wider Perth community I’d never have got the organisation off the ground.

2. Another thing I love about Perth is that it’s home to some of Australia’s most talented artists, like Abdul Abdullah, Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, Stormie Mills and J.D. Penangke. We’re also the birthplace of some of the best-ever Australian bands like AC/DC, The Triffids or The Sleepy Jackson, we got beaches like Leighton, South, Bathers or City, the best coffee from the likes of Bossman or Howard’s Groove, food from Casa or Le Rebelle, the best weather in Australia, wines from Battles and Vino Volta. And the thing I love the most is that we’ve got all this, yet we still have never been up our own arses!

3. Finally, I love that Perth (and WA) are home to more than 1.5 million volunteers and change-makers who regularly give their time to help the community in many different ways. So much so that it’s generated an economic value of $63.9 billion for the state! We’re also home to organisations like The Blue Tree Project founded by Kendall Whyte which aims to kick the stigma attached to mental illness, or the Nick Hudson-founded Push Up Challenge raising money for mental health. Volunteering is something very close to my heart and something that can provide so many positive outcomes. If you’re reading this and have always wanted to give volunteering a go, then this is your moment.

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