Craig's Barber Shop nominated for Community Champion award

Craig Henderson of Craig’s Barber Shop in Tonge Moor has been nominated for the Community Champion award at the Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards 2023.

The awards, which will take place on July 13, recognise the amazing contributions of the whole health and care workforce across Greater Manchester.

Craig, aged 36, from Deane, is known in Bolton for his work cutting the hair of children with autism and serving the community with his mental health training.

His barbershop is often labelled a safe place for autistic children, with Craig even going into schools to help the children desensitise the experience before getting their hair cut.

Craig at the opening of his new barbershop last month with Mayor Akhtar Zaman (Image: Craig Henderson)

Now, he has been nominated for the Community Champion award, which ‘recognises an individual or a team that leads a community-based project that is really making a difference.’

Craig said: “I feel overwhelmed by it, it’s not an average award within the hair industry. It’s a very prestigious award, with people in healthcare.

“It has doctors, nurses, optometrists and then there’s a barber.

He added: “It was a really good feeling in that moment, I was going ‘is it real’.

Craig Henderson with fiancée Sarah Timmins and daughter Lucy Timmins. (Image: Craig Henderson)

“It’s nice to have recognition, and to be recognised outside of the industry by the public sector is something else.”

Craig will be attending the award ceremony in June.

He said: “It’s an incredible thing to look forward to.

“Usually as a barber you win things like best fade, best haircut, but it would be good to win the Community Champion award.”

He added: “I want to give thanks to Firwood High School who nominated me for giving children haircuts there.