From city streets to outback towns: Short Back & Sidewalks completes WA regional expansion

It shouldn’t matter where you live or where you're from, everybody deserves to have positive connection, dignity and to feel seen, heard and valued.

Just over a year after launching its first regional service in Bunbury, Short Back & Sidewalks has now completed its regional expansion program with the rollout of its latest service in the beautiful East Kimberley town of Kununurra.

"Receiving Federal Government support to expand our services to 10 regional towns and cities was a gamechanger for Short Back & Sidewalks,” said Short Back & Sidewalks founder Craig Hollywood.

“Led by our Chief Executive Officer Natalie Jenkins and Operations Manager Elaine Healy, as well as our army of volunteers, this expansion across Western Australia has brought positivity and connectedness to regional areas that need it most.

“At the same time highlighting the need for our services in both metropolitan and remote regional areas.”

People experiencing homelessness, disadvantage and poverty can now access haircuts free of charge and free of judgement in the South West, Great Southern, Mid West, Gascoyne, Pilbara, Kimberley and Goldfields-Esperance regions.

"The WA regional expansion has been an enormously satisfying project that would not have been possible without the wonderful volunteers on the ground who are wanting to give back to their local community and the locally based community service partners that are collaborating with us,” said CEO Natalie Jenkins.

“We were thrilled to mark the completion of our regional expansion in Kununurra in the Kimberley region - one of the most remote and breathtakingly beautiful areas of the state".

With ongoing support from the McCusker Charitable Foundation, Western Australians experiencing homelessness, disadvantage and poverty in regional areas will continue to receive positive connection through Short Back & Sidewalks services.

Short Back & Sidewalks is now looking ahead to expand services to regional areas across Australia.

The regional expansion program was made possible thanks to support from the Australian Government Department of Social Services and Lotterywest.

Giselle Posilero