Curls, Coils & Care - Free Hair Care for Kids

Aim

Free hair care for 100 Black & mixed-race children in foster care. Two days of styling, products, education & celebration. April 2026.

The Moment Everything Changed

Last year, a 9-year-old girl arrived at our first event, lacking confidence and feeling really uncertain about her hair. Her foster mum also didn't know what to do, explaining she'd tried everything but didn't know how to care for textured hair. 

Three hours later, that same girl was spinning in circles, showing off her freshly braided hair to anyone who would look. She was beaming. Before leaving the salon, she ran back to the stylist who did her braids, and gave her a massive hug.

That moment—multiplied by 45 children—is why we're doing this again. And why we need to do it bigger.

The Problem We're Solving

Right now, thousands of Black and mixed-race children in the UK care system are experiencing hair neglect. Not because their foster parents don't care—but because they simply don't know how.

The training doesn't exist. The products and hair appointments are exceeding budgets. And when you don't know what you're doing, textured hair can become painful to manage and a constant source of hurt for children who are already dealing with trauma.

The impact goes beyond appearance:

• Children withdraw socially, avoiding school activities and photos
• They're bullied for their "messy" or "unkempt" appearance
• They lose connection to their cultural heritage and identity
• Their self-esteem plummets at a critical developmental stage
• The relationship with their carer suffers from this daily struggle

A social worker recently told us: "I've been advocating for better hair care resources for years, but there was nowhere to send families. These children deserve so much better."

She's right. They do.

What We Did in 2025

Our pilot event in 2025 proved what's possible. In one day, we:

✅ Provided free professional hair services to 45 children
✅ Gave each child months' worth of hair care products
✅ Created a space where children felt celebrated, not othered
✅ Built partnerships with major children's charities and local councils

The feedback was overwhelming. Foster parents said they finally felt equipped. Social workers requested an ongoing partnership. Children left with confidence we could see in their faces, their posture, their smiles.

And we knew we had to come back bigger.

April 2026: Doubling Our Impact

This year, we're supporting 100 children over two days.

Here's what your support funds:

Professional Hair Services
20+ licensed hairstylists and barbers offering their time will provide age-appropriate styles—from protective braids to celebratory looks. Each child receives individual attention in a dignified, culturally affirming experience.

Hair Care Products
Every child leaves with a complete hair care kit: shampoo, conditioner, leave-in treatments, oils, styling products, and accessories. Enough for several months, with instructions for foster parents.

Education for Carers
We are provide hands-on training for foster parents and social workers. They learn washing techniques, detangling methods, product selection, and protective styling basics. Knowledge they can use every day.

Where We Are Now

• 80 children already registered (and we only opened registration weeks ago)
• 2 of the UK's largest children's charities are sending participants
• 4-5 local councils are referring children from their care systems
• 20+ hairstylists and barbers have committed to volunteer
• 3 hair care companies are donating products

The demand is massive. The need is real. The community is ready.

What we need now is funding to make it happen.

Why This Matters

This isn't just about hair. It's about dignity.

It's about a 7-year-old being able to go to school without kids asking "what's wrong with your hair?"

It's about a 14-year-old feeling proud of her locs instead of ashamed.

It's about a foster parent finally understanding how to care for their child's needs.

It's about systemic change—one child, one family, one trained social worker at a time.

When children's hair is properly cared for, something shifts. They stand taller. They smile more. They feel seen. And for children in foster care who already face so much—separation from birth families, instability, trauma—feeling seen matters enormously.

Where Your Money Goes

We've broken down exactly what it costs to serve 100 children with excellence:

• £50 - Full hair care kit for one child (products, accessories etc)
• £75 - Hair appointment costs for one child
• £160 - Full works for 1 child (styling + products + education)
• £480 - Support for 3 children
• £800 - Support for 5 children
• £1,600 - Support for 10 children
• £2,500 - Sponsor 20 stylists and barbers for one day

Our fundraising goal: £17,000

This covers:

• Hair appointments for 100 children (£5,000)
• Catering & refreshments (£1,500)
• Materials & workshops (£1,000)
• Venue hire for 2 days (£3,000)
• Event logistics and hair supplies (£1,000)
• Stylist & barber equipment (£500)
• Product box packaging (£500)
• Product storage, transport & delivery (£800)
• DBS checks for stylists & volunteers (£800)
• Professional photography & videogaphy (£1,500)
• Insurance and safeguarding compliance (£500)
• Contingency fund (£1,000)

Who We Are

Curls, Coils & is a Community Interest Company (CIC) founded by Jade Buffong and Jo Wong. As a CIC, we reinvest all profits back into our mission—community benefit always comes first.

Jade is also the founder of Mane Hook-Up, a beauty booking platform for textured hairstylists. She's spent years working in this community and understanding the gaps in support.

Jo brings commercial expertise from Estée Lauder and MAC Cosmetics. She founded Let's Grow BFF, supporting Black beauty founders with business consulting.

Together with Cataanda, our Global Head of Education (an ex-celebrity hairstylist with 30 years' experience), we're building an organisation that addresses the full spectrum of needs in the textured hair community.

Curls, Coils & Care is one of three branches:

• Care supports vulnerable children (this project)
• Cashflow empowers beauty entrepreneurs through business education
• Change drives legislative reform to end hair discrimination

Everything connects. When we support children, we're also training future foster parents. When we empower stylists economically, they give back to events like this. When we fight discrimination, we protect the children we serve today.

Our Commitment to You

• Transparency: As a CIC, we publish annual reports showing exactly how funds are used.
• Safeguarding: Every team member and volunteer is DBS-checked and safeguarding-trained. Child safety is our absolute priority.
• Impact: We'll share photos (with appropriate permissions), testimonials, and impact reports after the April event. You'll see exactly where your money went and the lives it changed.
• Accountability: We're not a faceless charity. We're Jade and Jo, putting our names and reputations behind this work. We'll answer questions, provide updates, and stay connected with our supporters.

What Happens If We Exceed Our Goal?

Every pound beyond our £17,000 target goes directly into:

Supporting more children - If we raise £19,000, we will use the additional money for more hair care workshops.
Building our training program - Creating video resources and guides for foster parents across the UK
Future events - We want to run these more regularly
Emergency support - Creating a fund for urgent hair care needs between events

We will never waste your money. Every contribution creates measurable impact.

Join Us

In April 2026, 100 children will walk into a room feeling unseen, overlooked, and often ashamed of their hair.

They'll leave feeling celebrated, confident, and proud.

Foster parents will finally have the knowledge and tools they desperately need.

Social workers will see the profound wellbeing impact proper hair care creates.

And we'll prove—again—that when communities come together, we can transform lives.

But we can't do it without you.

Whether you can give £10 or £1,000, whether you can share this page or volunteer your time—you're part of this change.

These children deserve dignity. They deserve celebration. They deserve to feel beautiful.

Help us make that happen.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made