A BARBER who started a new life in Scotland after escaping war-ravaged Syria has proved he is a cut above the rest by giving out free haircuts to the local community.
Mounzer Darsani trimmed the locks of customers in the lounge of Bield’s Crosshill Gardens development in Port Glasgow in a bid to give back to the community that welcomed him and his family with open arms.
Mounzer is well-established after opening his two Orient Salon barbershops in Greenock and the Isle of Bute after moving from Syria to Scotland in 2016.
Some of the Crosshill Gardens residents were getting their first haircut since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and were delighted at Mounzer’s free trims.
Gordon Coe, 76, resides at the Port Glasgow development and enjoyed his first trim since 2020.
Gordon said: “I am really happy to have had my hair tidied up. It’s been so hard to get out to the barbers in what has been a tricky past few years. My hair was getting so long, I could have put it in a pony tail!
“I’m very grateful for what Mr Darsani is doing. It’s a lot of effort to come up to Crosshill Gardens and do this completely for free, we all massively appreciate it.”
Mounzer reached out to the Bield development to graciously offer his services and also left his contact details so that he could return to Crosshill Gardens to provide more free cuts in the future.
Mounzer said: “The support I had from the local community when arriving in Scotland was astonishing. I felt it was only right to try to give back in a small way.
“I get a lot of enjoyment from talking to customers at Crosshill Gardens and hearing all of their stories so it was the least I could do to help make lives easier for them throughout a pandemic.”
Following the success of the Crosshill Gardens haircuts, Mounzer has since offered his services to the wider community on the Isle of Bute and is in the process of organising free haircuts at a Bute care home.
Mounzer added: “I’ll continue to offer my services to the lovely people at Crosshill Gardens, it’s important to me to always try to make a difference and I hope I have made a positive impact on their lives.”
The staff at the development were taken back by his act of kindness, he then generously left his number to call at any time and he’d return and cut their hair.
Bield has been providing high quality housing and related services in Scotland for over 50 years, promoting a “Free to Be” ethos that allows older people to live independent lives.
Bield is a registered charity dedicated to providing flexible housing solutions and support for older people.
Bield Housing and Care has around 180 developments across Scotland, providing independent living for those over 50 years old around the country.
