Top barber group, Jacks of London, has been named Male Grooming Salon of the Year by Salon Business magazine, considered the ultimate business magazine in the hairdressing industry. The win comes just days after the group, which celebrates 25 years in business this year, announced a new partnership with Prostate Cancer UK that will involve extensive awareness-building and fundraising.

‘We work tirelessly to keep Jacks of London at the top of its game, investing in our people and our salons so our clients get the best service possible, and it’s fantastic to have that recognised in major industry awards such the Salon Business Awards,’ said Emma Lee, marketing director of the eight-strong group, which has salons in Wimbledon, Clapham Junction, Richmond and New Malden. ‘It tells us we are as close as we can to getting it right. Ultimately though, it’s our barbers who deserve the recognition. We have a fabulous team of men and women who deliver a brilliant service every day.’

The group announced earlier this week that it has adopted Prostate Cancer UK to mark its quarter-century, kicking off with free treatments for the charity’s staff. The disease affects more than 47,000 men each year and kills one man every 45 minutes in the UK.

‘We have clients and people on our team who have been directly affected by prostate cancer so we decided rather than focus on simply celebrating our 25 years in business we would be even more involved in giving back,’ adds Emma. ‘Our link with Prostate Cancer UK is very personal, but we also feel we can help amplify awareness and understanding, and ultimately raise funds so the charity can continue its amazing contribution, helping fund vital research into better diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease, as well as providing support for men and their families.’

Jon Eserin, Associate Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK said: ‘We’re incredibly grateful to Jacks of London for offering this initiative to our wonderful team. Not only will this year-long partnership raise vital funds for research, it will help start conversations about the disease and hopefully encourage more men to be aware of their health.

‘We’re delighted to partner up with Jacks of London as we continue the fight against prostate cancer. We recently launched our new campaign, ‘Men, we are with you’, to celebrate everything great about men and highlight the special moments we lose when a man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer, so look forward to working side by side over the next year to amplify this message.’

Already a multi-award winning company, Jacks of London was founded in 1994 by Jacks managing director Sue Whitehead, a salon owner who recognised even then that most men preferred an all-male environment over the unisex salon experience. She opened her first store in Wimbledon, and the business has since grown solidly to eight stores.