Paul meekin celebrates shaping futures with bollywood bash

Belfast hairdresser Paul Meekin held a Bollywood-themed fundraiser ahead of his trip to Delhi with the Schwarzkopf Professional Shaping Futures programme. Shaping Futures aims to train disadvantaged young people to become hairdressers, providing them with a trade that will enable to support themselves and their families for life, giving them a hand up instead of a hand out. Each of the students will be provided with essential hairdressing equipment as part of the course and vital funds are required to provide this as well as food and accommodation. Paul - who will be the first Irish hairdresser to take part in the scheme - has already swung into action, organising a fundraising Bollywood-themed evening in the salon. East Belfast, where his salon in located, has seen sporadic outbursts civil unrest and increased racial tensions in recent weeks and the evening prior to the Bollywood night saw intense rioting in the area. Paul says: "On arrival at work on the morning of the event, I was greeted by the sight of television crews, police and local politicians surveying the carnage left behind after the previous night's rioting. The advice received was unanimously to cancel or postpone the event. After a quick discussion with the salon team and the local MLA, Robin Newton, it was decided that the event would go ahead with an increased police presence in the area. Robin arranged with Belfast City Council to have the area cleaned and the debris and burnt out cars removed – my team and I were determined that the good we were trying to do would not be ruined by an element intent on bringing the area down." On the night, clients and friends of the salon donated prizes for a raffle while Bollywood dancers, Henna tattooist, sari demonstration and fire eater kept everyone entertained. The evening was a huge success with over £3,000 raised for the Shaping Futures charity.