By Sarah Dale
19 July 2024
Providing a safe haven for men to talk about their mental health is of paramount importance to Afro Kings Barbershop owner Martins Ushie.
Martins left the Army three years ago having witnessed the mental health struggles of his comrades and one particular incident where a fellow soldier died by suicide was the tipping point for the father-of-two to leave the Army and start the next chapter.
When he opened his barbershop at 96 Newport Road, Middlesbrough, his lifelong love of barbering – he trained at 16 – was now his livelihood.
One day, a client shared his mental struggles to Martins and the pair talked and cried together. Unbeknown to Martins at the time, his client had visited his barbershop that day for a ‘final’ haircut before he planned to take his own life. A couple of weeks later he returned to tell the barbershop owner that his kindness had saved his life.
“That’s when I knew I had to make this a safe haven for men to talk about their mental health,” says the father-of-two.
And so a glass-fronted room in the corner of the barbershop has been transformed into a place to talk, reflect and listen. Kitted out with a sofa, chair and table, it is a place to sit and talk over a coffee or simply to take a breather.
It has also become the meeting place for a regular coffee morning held on Thursdays at Afro Kings with representatives from Middlesbrough Council and Cleveland Housing Advice Centre, as well as mental health professionals, to offer help and support to clients.
Dr Daniel Omomhenle, psychiatry registrar at Tees Esk & Wear Valley NHS Trust, volunteers his time to attend the coffee mornings and offer support. He said: “This is a safe space to have chats, people can express themselves here. Being a mental health professional, I can give advice to people and make interventions if they’re needed. I wanted to give back to the community so I will be here at least once a month.”
Leona Gellatly, joint centre manager at Cleveland Housing Advice Centre, regularly attends the coffee mornings along with a representative from Middlesbrough Council, to provide practical advice on housing, debt and employment. She said: “The coffee mornings are a fantastic way of engaging people. At CHAC, we’re all down to earth and live in the communities we serve and we’re here to help people as much as we can.”
Junior Masandi, moderator at Black Creatives and Arts Network (BCAN), trustee of Taste of Africa Northeast and a client of Afro Kings Barbershop, said: “BCAN is a network of Black creatives that come together to collaborate and get to know each other and expand their reach across the community.
“Martins is a member of BCAN and the idea to open a mental health hub for men to talk is a fantastic idea. I frequent the barbers regularly and it’s great to have a nice place to sit and talk to men about your day-to-day and whatever your struggles are. You’re also getting your hair and beard cut so you feel fresher, cleaner and rejuvenated.”
Joshua Kwentoh, 47, a father-of-three from Eaglescliffe, runs a digital marketing agency, Digital Success Blueprint. He said: “Martins is not only the only barber I trust with my crown, he’s such a likeable human being. I respect everything he has done – this isn’t a barbers, it’s a haven for men.”
Victor Kwesi, 33, a mental health support worker from Middlesbrough and author of The Whispers of the Soul [out in August], said: “I have always been interested in mental health and psychology. Originally, I was driven to know more so I could know more about myself; I have ADHD which is not something really talked about in the black community.
“When I first came to the UK to study my master’s at Teesside University, I visited Afro Kings and was intrigued by the photo of Martins in his Army uniform on the wall – is this the same guy in front of me? And then when we got talking, we realised we grew up very close to each other in Nigeria.
“He is providing a service that goes further than a haircut; it’s a community. Last year, I created a 10-page book filled with tips on how to destress, yoga exercises, affirmations, self-care tips and I leave them here to for people to read.”
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