HNCO Muslim Charity Helping the Homeless in Burnley

Top to toe service for Burnley’s homeless.

Nelson-born HNCO muslim charity hands out hygiene packs and sets up ‘barber shop’ for weekly homeless event in Burnley.

While the weekly homeless feed held by volunteers of HNCO Muslim Charity at the Thompson Centre Car Park is always well-received, when the team asked service users how they could improve on future events, several requests for hygiene packs and toiletry items were met by the charity’s usual enthusiasm.

Having been asked during a hot meal and snack-serving session one week, by the next event – just seven days later – the volunteers had created more than 30 hygiene packs filled with wet wipes, combs, fresh socks, toothbrushes and toothpaste plus brand new boxer briefs for male service users and packs of knickers and sanitary items for female visitors.

In addition, the team set up a free hair cutting and beard trimming station for the second consecutive week, headed by Rip of Rips Barbers, which was extremely well received by anyone who participated.

HNCO Organiser Gulshan Rehman commented: “Of course food and drink will always be essential for our service users, and for many, the hot meal they get on a Wednesday evening from the HNCO stall may be the first they’ve had all week; but there are many other items we consider to be basic at home that are actually a luxury for people living on the streets.

“Simple things like cleaning your teeth or brushing your hair, which we do several times a day can become a rare event when you don’t have a roof over your head. So many of us will never know what it’s like to not have regular access a bathroom and a wash bag; but just because these men and women don’t have that, it doesn’t mean they have any less self-pride than we do.

“We can’t do this without the donations of our kind and generous supporters however, and even a small amount can make a huge difference when it comes to some simple toiletries and clean packs of underwear. We are especially grateful to Rip, the barber, who ‘set up shop’ using his own time and supplies to offer haircuts and trim beards, for some people who haven’t had the means or the confidence to go to a hair dressers for months, or longer.

“The smiles on the faces of those who got to sit in the barber’s chair and ‘feel normal’ for ten minutes, then leave with a bag of toiletries for the week ahead makes you realise just how much the homeless need a service like ours and all the other fantastic charities that are doing similar work every day.”