04 October 2022

- Citroën UK is supporting mental health charity The Lions Barber Collective with an ë-Berlingo Van to help spread awareness of mental health issues.

- The Lions Barber Collective is an international collective of top barbers trained to raise awareness for the prevention of suicide.

- A barber can see as many as 9,600 people in a year – providing an opportunity to talk and educate.

Mental health charity The Lions Barber Collective took delivery of an ë-Berlingo Van earlier this year as part of a collaboration with Citroën UK. The collaboration has seen the all-electric van support the Collective’s events throughout the summer and into the autumn.  

The Lions Barber Collective is an international collective of top barbers who seek to destigmatise the subject of mental health and suicide by taking advantage of the time that people spend with barbers – one barber can see up to 9,600 people in a year. Each barber in the collective is trained how to recognise symptoms of poor mental health in clients and signpost them to relevant support services. The group also helps to raise awareness of mental illness and prevent suicide through its work.

Citroën’s ë-Berlingo Van has been used to take The Lions Barber Collective’s pop-up safe space barber shop on the road this year. During the loan period, the Collective has attended festivals, such as Carfest and Boardmasters, as well as visit universities, colleges, fishing ports, construction sites and other venues to spread awareness. Citroën’s ë-Berlingo Van is used to transport equipment and support the logistics of running the   pop-up barber shop.

Tom Chapman, The Lions Barber Collective Founder, said: “We exist to make a positive impact on people, and having an electrified van allows us to do that while reducing our impact on the planet – it's a win-win.  As a tiny charity, this support from Citroën not only saves us money on our existing pop-up safe space barber shop events, it also allows us more freedom and ability to do more, reach more people and save more lives."

Citroën ë-Berlingo Van offers load volumes up to 4.4m³ and payloads up to 803kg. With a 50kWh battery and a 100kw (136hp) electric motor, it has a zero-emission range of up to 171 miles (WLTP) and supports up to 100kW rapid (DC) charging, with a 0-80% charge taking just 30 minutes.

Eurig Druce, Citroën UK’s Managing Director, said: “We are thrilled to support The Lions Barber Collective and the fantastic work it does to raise awareness of suicide prevention and mental health. Tom and the team at The Lions Barber Collective are doing vital and inspiring work and, as a human brand that puts people first, Citroën is proud to be able to support it.”

The Lions Barber Collective also has a barber shop open in Carnaby Street, Central London. All of the profits from the shop are used to further raise awareness for suicide prevention and support the training initiatives of the charity. The popular ë-Berlingo Van also saves the charity money on the London Congestion Charge as it is exempt as a zero-emissions vehicle.