Funky Little Chickens

A Cardiff salon that takes the tears out of toddler haircuts is backing a Welsh Government campaign designed to challenge stereotypes and show ’people don’t have a ‘best before’ date’.

Funky Little Chickens children's hair salon in Rumney has joined the campaign, which equips business owners with the tools they need to build an all age workforce.

The salon, which allows little ones to have their haircut in specialist seats in the shape of racing cars as they watch DVDs and sip on hot chocolate or milkshakes, employs nine members of staff and three are over 50.

Owner Jeni Law, from Llanrumney, said  the mix of age-groups, both staff and customers,  helps to make the salon a success.

While several of her team members are in their 20s, her mum, Gill Addicott, 65, works as a receptionist, and hair stylist, Kate Crompton, turns 50 in February next year.

Fiona Akpinar, 58, is also employed at the salon, on Lamby Way, as a baby massage instructor for babies as young as five weeks old.

 Jeni and Fiona met when the former pharmacy technician was giving holistic therapy to Jeni's terminally ill father, Cardiff entrepreneur Stephen Addicott, who died of a brain tumour in 2012.

Fiona, who spent 12 years on dialysis due to a kidney condition and has had a kidney transplant, had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had finished a course of chemotherapy when Jeni offered her a job at the salon.

Flexible hours mean Fiona, who also has osteoporosis and struggles with heavy physical activity and standing for long periods, doesn't become exhausted by the job.

"I'm not sure that, given my health issues and my age, many other employers would have given me a chance like Jeni did," she said.

"I can't start early so she lets me choose my hours and work once a week. If you can be flexible to an older member of staff, what you'll get in return is loyalty, enthusiasm and pride in everything they do."