London Stylist Inspires Others With Do Something For Nothing Movement

A London hairstylist, Joshua Coombes, decided to do a good deed one day in 2015 and sparked a movement across the world. Coombes stopped to speak to a homeless man nearby and ended up giving him a free haircut while they chatted. He decided to keep giving free haircuts and post about it on social media. His social media posts about the people he met began to reach a large audience and the movement that would eventually become #DoSomethingForNothing was born.

Coombes has been telling the stories of homeless people, via offering them haircuts, ever since.
“I started by writing the captions for my photos on Instagram. I was posting before and after photos of the people I met, and the words became important,” he explained. As his posts began to reach more people, Coombes was approached to write the book.

His work caught the attention of Hollywood actor and director Morgan Freeman. National Geographic’s 2017 six-part documentary series The Story of Us, which was presented by Freeman, featured Coombes. In an episode called Love, filmed in south London, Freeman unpicks how love runs through what Coombes does. “Small acts of love can make a big impact,” notes Freeman in the film.

Coombes’ recently published book, Do Something for Nothing, shares tales that cover loss, addiction and abandonment, but also hope, resilience and tenacity. He is now a firm believer in storytelling as a means of creating change. His photos and captions help delve beneath the surface of homelessness, whether by unpicking the reasons why people have ended up in that situation, or simply by telling small details about them.

Coombes has now traveled the world, spreading a message of kindness and inspiring people to use their gifts to help others. The movement encourages people to connect their skills and time to those who need them. Stylists and barbers across the world were inspired to give free haircuts in their community with the goal of using their gift to share a message of kindness. Across the world, people of all skill sets have joined in with Do Something For Nothing as a way to express their humanity; yoga instructors volunteering in rehabilitation centers, students spending time to have lunch with senior citizens, veterinarians offering free veterinary care to the pets of homeless people-even a physiotherapist now offering free back pain consultations.

The Do Something For Nothing movement’s message is simple- If everyone, in every city, did one thing for nothing, we could change the world. This isn’t about raising awareness, it’s about raising compassion. Some issues in this world require donations and financial aid, but others are greatly improved by our sharing time.