Award-winning celebrity stylist, Andrew Barton, has helped raise £120,000 for anti- bullying charity, Kidscape, and is set to feature in new documentary
Andrew Barton, one of Britain’s most recognisable hairdressers, has climbed Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, and, alongside a team of 40 volunteers, has helped raise an astonishing £120,000 for anti- bullying charity, Kidscape.
Kidscape is the UK charity dedicated to preventing bullying and protecting children from harm. The charity has supported children, families and schools through practical advice, training and specialist services, helping thousands of young people build confidence and resilience.
Best known to millions as the resident hair expert on Channel 4’s hit television series 10 Years Younger, Andrew is an ambassador for the charity and is preparing for the release of a powerful new documentary marking Kidscape’s 40th anniversary.
The film follows the group of remarkable individuals who took on the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in February this year. The expedition brought together celebrities, campaigners and survivors whose lives have been shaped by bullying and childhood trauma.
Standing 5,895 metres above sea level, after enduring extreme altitude, freezing nighttime temperatures and immense physical exhaustion, Andrew completed one of the toughest challenges of his life.
Andrew experienced severe and sustained bullying throughout his early years. The effect on his confidence and mental health was profound, leaving him feeling isolated and without a clear sense of where he belonged, “As a child, every day felt like a mountain climb as I did all I could to avoid the bullies that made my life hell,” Andrew shared.
Everything began to change when he entered a hair salon and started his apprenticeship.
The salon became Andrew’s safe space—a place filled with creativity, acceptance, friendship and possibility. It gave him a community in which he could belong, a craft through which he could express himself and, most importantly, a reason to believe in his future. Hairdressing did more than give Andrew a career: in many ways, Andrew believes the salon saved him.
“Hairdressing changed my life,” Andrew explained. “It gave me confidence, creativity and a career I could never have dreamed of. It helped me find my place in the world and I want young people who may be struggling today to know there is hope.”
Andrew rose from apprenticeship to become one of the country’s leading A-list celebrity hair stylists, working across salons, television, fashion, photographic shoots, advertising campaigns and major creative productions.
His work has also extended far beyond the salon chair. Andrew is an internationally experienced educator and an inspirational speaker who shares his knowledge at colleges, conferences, industry events and live stages. However, charity and advocacy are central to Andrew’s life.
His relationship with the anti-bullying charity Kidscape is especially personal. Andrew has served as a Kidscape ambassador for more than a decade. He speaks candidly about his experiences so that young people facing bullying know they are not alone and that their present circumstances do not have to define their future. For Andrew, every step of the climb represented a child who feels frightened, unseen or alone.
His message is simple but powerful: where you begin does not determine where you can go—and sometimes the place that welcomes you in can become the place that changes your life.
The documentary is expected to premiere later this year and aims to spark a national conversation about bullying, mental wellbeing, and the importance of early intervention.
“Bullying can cast a long shadow over a child’s life. This documentary highlights not only the challenges many young people face, but also the resilience, courage and support that can help them overcome adversity. We are incredibly grateful to Andrew and everyone involved for helping us spread this message,” Ashley Rolfe, Director of Operations at Kidscape, added.