A Paisley charity supporting care-experienced young people has won the Education Excellence Award at The UK Hair & Beauty Awards.
Haus Of Seisay was founded in 2022 and provides hairdressing education, recognised qualifications, mentoring, wellbeing support and employment opportunities for care-experienced young people and those on the edges of care.
Young people at the charity can work towards recognised Qualifications Scotland SVQ qualifications. They can also learn from experienced hairdressers and educators, take part in work experience and develop skills for further education and employment.
The charity was set up to provide an alternative learning environment for young people who may have struggled with traditional education.
Thomas Seisay, Founder and Chair of Haus Of Seisay, said: “When they announced Haus Of Seisay as the winner, I honestly couldn’t believe it.
“We started Haus Of Seisay because we could see that there were young people with so much talent and potential who just needed someone to give them a chance and believe in them.
“We’ve never wanted Haus Of Seisay to feel like a traditional classroom. We want our young people to walk through the door and feel comfortable, have a laugh, make mistakes, ask questions and know that they are supported.
“Hairdressing gives us the platform, but what we’re really trying to build is confidence, independence and hope for the future.
“Seeing our name called out for Education Excellence was a really emotional moment because you immediately think about all the young people who have been part of our journey since we opened.”
Haus Of Seisay has developed pathways from short introductory programmes into full SVQ qualifications and progression opportunities.
Thomas continued: “This award isn’t just mine and it isn’t just Haus Of Seisay’s.
“It’s for our trustees, staff, assessors and mentors who give so much to our young people. It’s for our partners, funders and everyone in the hairdressing industry who has donated, shared a post, delivered a masterclass or simply told us to keep going.
“And a massive thank you has to go to Wella and ghd for believing in what we are doing and helping us give our young people opportunities within this amazing industry.
“But most importantly, this is for our learners.
“To every care-experienced young person who has walked through the doors of Haus Of Seisay – this one is for you.
“You are the reason we started, the reason we keep pushing forward and the reason this award means so much.”
The charity said its aim remains to give care-experienced young people opportunities to gain qualifications, develop careers and build confidence.
Thomas added: “We are so proud to bring this award home to Paisley.
“Four years ago Haus Of Seisay was just an idea. Today we’re an award-winning education provider working with some absolutely incredible young people.
“There is still so much more we want to do, and we’re definitely not finished yet.”
Photo: The Haus Of Seisay team celebrate after winning the Education Excellence Award at The UK Hair & Beauty Awards.
Photo Credit: Haus Of Seisay