Jax Wax Australia has partnered with Walkabout Barber Enterprises to provide waxing services for indigenous men in rural communities around Australia.
As part of it Indigenous Support Project, Jax Wax will provide “all wax and ancillary products as well as training” to Walkabout free of charge to the company can provide facial waxing services (including ears, nose, nostrils and brows) to their clients.
Established by Brian Dowd two years ago, Walkabout Barber runs a flagship barbershop in Newcastle’s Warners Bay and the Walkabout Barber trailer which “travels anywhere” in Australia.
Normal barbering prices apply to clients in the Warners Bay shop but the trailer, which works with community organisations and service providers, offers 60 free haircuts and a 1.5-hour Trauma & Recovery Workshop per day in to the communities it visits.
Brian, who has a post graduate degree in Indigenous Trauma and Recovery, says he decided to launch the trailer shortly after opening his barbershop as it attracted many customers from nearby towns.
“Speaking with these clients I saw a need to expand the business to service these people both for haircuts and mental support,” he says.
“The barber’s chair is a magical experience especially for men.
“I’ve built the business as a healing space, for men and women to have a chat.
“Our main objective is to make people fresh on the outside, and to come out fresher on the inside.”
Jax Wax national training manager Michele Hetherington, who is “extremely proud” of her Aboriginal heritage, said the collaboration came into being after she talked with Brian about “how both businesses can reach out together to help rural indigenous communities socially, physically and emotionally”.
She says Jax Wax is proud to be associated with the Walkabout Barber team and are is looking forward to a long relationship with them.
She also revealed that a Walkabout Beautiful trailer offering brow waxing, tinting and manicures is next on the agenda so “we don’t want women to feel left out”.
Community service providers interested in bringing Walkabout Barber to their community can email walkaboutbarber@gmail.com for a quote.
The Walkabout Trailer is Jax Wax’s latest initiative it its Indigenous Support Project.
The company also currently runs free beauty workshops for Aboriginal women on the north coast of NSW to help develop their self-esteem ‒ and potentially help them begin careers in the beauty industry.
Led by Michelle, the workshops are “designed to reflect the standards of Certificate III in Beauty” and cover the basics of skin biology, waxing, nutrition, manicures, pedicures and makeup application.
Michele says the workshops have proved popular with one student (Simone Mulherin) already “becoming part of our mentoring program to further a career within the beauty industry”.
Michelle says she is delighted that she is able to give back to the Indigenous community with Jax Wax’s support.
“My grandmother is one of the Stolen Generation, and to be associated with a company that respects Indigenous Australians means a lot, not only to me but to the community.
“The support from Jax Wax will not only help the current generations but will benefit the next generation in the years to come.”
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