Hairdressing, Harrogate lifestyle, and loneliness – our interview with the Lifestyle Lounge

We’re very excited to announce that Harrogate Lifestyle Lounge is one of our first business partners. I had a chat with Louise to find out more about the salon and why they got involved with the work of the Hub…
Tell us a little about yourself…

Hi, I’m Louise, I’m the Salon Manager at Lifestyle Lounge. I’ve worked there since November and I’ve been hairdressing for 14 years this month! I enjoy talking to different people everyday and creating new looks. I like working in Harrogate – it has a very civilised feel! And I like the choice of bars and restaurants to go to after work.

I imagine you hear lots of stories of personal struggles as you talk to customers. What do you think are some of the difficulties facing people in Harrogate?

Yes, once a client has been to you a few times, they definitely open up about their personal life. You become a friend to them and they often ask your opinion on things and vice versa. Some of the main struggles we hear about are relationship and family issues, as well as troubles at work. Compared to other places where I’ve lived the cost of living in Harrogate is high. I’m guessing that puts pressure on people at work to achieve more. There’s definitely a pressure to aspire to an affluent lifestyle.

In the Instagram world we live in, everyone thinks they know what everyone else is doing. We look at their social media and envy people we don’t know or have never met. I think this creates a feeling of loneliness and can be a struggle. It depends on how you perceive loneliness. It isn’t always obvious. You hear of people with millions and millions of friends and yet they still feel very on their own. We sometimes see lonely elderly clients, who might pop in and just want to chat to somebody.

Why did you choose to support the Harrogate Hub?

I wanted to support a local Harrogate charity that focused on issues within Harrogate. I think that what the Hub does and what hairdressing can do for people is quite similar in some ways. We can both help customers simply by having an hour’s chat with them and building their self-esteem. By the end of it, they stand taller and leave with more confidence.

How have you raised funds so far?

We recently re-launched the salon with the new name ‘Lifestyle Lounge’. To celebrate we had a Pamper Night, our first fundraiser for the Harrogate Hub and a chance to showcase what we now do – which is more than just hairdressing, but a whole variety of services. We raised £330 for the Harrogate Hub on the night. We also have some plans for future fundraising – something that involves us getting out and about, and that involves us wearing walking boots or trainers! I don’t know what it is yet, so watch this space!

We’re very grateful to Louise and the Lifestyle Lounge team for all their hard work and we look forward to finding out more about their fundraising adventures!

If you work for or run a local business and would like to find out how your business could get involved, please do get in touch at harrogatehub.marketing@gmail.com. You could fundraise for us, sponsor us, or simply be an ambassador and spread the message about our work. We’re excited to work with people who share our heart to serve and love our community.

 

Interview by Ella Green

 

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