Grant Freedman of Chaps Barbershop set for 24 straight hours of cutting hair to raise money for charity

Barbers spend a lot of time on their feet - but Grant is about to spend 24 hours straight cutting hair. There’s a very good reason why.

One of Adelaide’s favourite barbers is set to undertake his second 24-hour charity challenge.

Grant Freedman, owner and operator of Chaps Barbershop, will cut hair for 24 hours straight, beginning April 14, to raise money for The Shaka Project - a project designed to encourage connection, mateship, and brotherhood through the ‘Shaka’.

All proceeds will go toward spreading the importance of mental health awareness and suicide prevention, something close to Grant’s heart.

Barber Grant Freedman is undertaking a 24-hour challenge in April to raise money for The Shaka Project, pictured with client Sam Limbris. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“Most people - especially in today’s day and age - suffer a little bit with mental health and learning how to deal with it,” the 30-year-old said. “I’ve suffered in the past but I’m better now.

“I have clients come in the door and I allow them to open up to me ... it’s a safe place.”

Two years ago, Grant embarked on his first 24-hour challenge - raising $9000 for Autism SA.

“I was talking to a client of mine and I told him I wanted to cut hair for 24 hours and he said, ‘why don’t you raise money for it?’

“At the time I had some clients with autism and I thought how difficult it was for them and their parents so I figured it would be great to raise money for them.

“I ended up doing 50 haircuts all up. One after the other - right throughout the night.”

Grant says his shop, Chaps Barbershop, specialises for people with special needs.

“We have a special service on our price list for people with sensory needs,” he said.

“We’ll get the notes before they come in and then dim the lights or lower the noise level. Whatever they need to be more comfortable.”

Grant Freedman will cut hair for 24 hours straight to raise money for The Shaka Project. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

This time though, Grant is turning his attention to mental health, an issue plaguing Australians across the country.

According to Beyond Blue, just under half of all Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental health disorder at some point in their life - equivalent to 8.5m people.

Particularly within the male demographic, mental health is a crisis that needs to be put under a microscope, and The Shaka Project - and Grant the Barber - are committed to doing just that.

Sean Phillip founded The Shaka Project in 2019 after going through his own mental health battles involving suicide ideation, self harm, and suicide attempts. Picture: Supplied

Sean Phillip, the founder of the project, said the idea behind using merchandise to ignite a conversation was to get people asking the question “allgoodbro?”.

“The Shaka itself is a permission slip, and those who wear it are giving anyone around them full permission to talk, check in, and feel safe when it comes to talking about their own mental health,” he says on their website.

Grant, known for cutting the hair of numerous Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide players, said he’s received plenty of messages just days after announcing his April cut-a-thon.

“I think a couple of the boys are keen to get involved. Ryan Burton said he’s pretty keen to get his hair cut,” he said.

“(I had) a cut with one of the Crows players who said he’ll try and have a chat with Jars (Andrew Jarman).

“I just want to get as much traction as possible.”

In the meantime, Grant encourages anyone and everyone to spread the word by both liking and sharing his post on Instagram, and donating to the link in his Instagram bio.

“Let’s make a difference,” he said.