A Liverpool hairdresser who was subjected to a homophobic attack as a teenager has raised almost three thousand pounds for charity by doing a 'hair-a-thon'.
Patrick Wilson, 29, originally from Tuebrook, started a JustGiving page and took bookings for hair appointments at Liverpool's Lush Hair Lab after hearing about the recent series of homophobic and transphobic attacks in the city centre.
The London-based hairdresser has worked with Cindy Crawford's and styled hair for the cover of Elle fashion magazine in the USA.
READ MORE: Death and dancing, party and protest: Liverpool's LGBT+ scene down the decades
Speaking of the recent violence, Patrick told the ECHO : "Each weekend it felt like it was happening more and more. I would open Instagram to see another attack in the city.
"I would repost on my stories in the hope people would stay safe and my friends were also shocked and upset with what was happening.
"I started to feel scared for my own friends that live in Liverpool, I felt helpless and was thinking of ways I could use my platform and career to raise awareness in the city, which is how I came up with the Hair-A-Thon."
Patrick said he was the victim of a homophobic attack in Liverpool over a decade ago while walking with a friend on Edge Lane.
He told the ECHO : "We noticed a big gang ahead of us so we tried to cross the road to the other side. The gang followed, so we changed direction but by this point it was too late. I was hit and pulled to the floor on the middle of the main road.
"Although I probably looked quite vulnerable I was a brown belt in karate and knew how to defend myself, but I was hurt and had to go to Alder Hey to get checked over.
"A passerby at the scene had called the police and they did manage to identify some of the attackers."
Unlike several victims of the recent attacks, Patrick didn't feel comfortable speaking about it at the time.
Patrick told the ECHO about the impact of the attack on him.
He said: "As a young teenager, you are really just trying to find yourself, and I wasn’t out to anyone at that point. But growing up in Liverpool I felt like I needed to blend in. I didn’t want to experience any more hate crime.
"I would remember getting on the first bus to school in the mornings so that I wouldn’t have to sit through being picked on for maybe having different hair to the norm.
"At that age it wasn’t really something you would openly talk about, it’s only now that I’m older and happy in my own skin that I do feel more comfortable to talk about it."
In response to the recent hate crimes, Patrick wanted to support a local LGBT+ youth charity in Liverpool, so he picked GYRO, the LGBT+ youth group run by the Young Person's Advisory Service (YPAS).
Patrick didn't take payments for the hair appointments in Lush Hair Lab Liverpool, instead asking clients to donate what they could to the JustGiving page, which he also promoted on social media.
He has so far raised £2,860, far above his initial target of £500.
Speaking of how he feels about the fundraiser, Patrick said: "I understand that it’s a tough time for most people financially at the minute, so that’s why I’m so grateful for the support.
"I would also like to thank Lush Liverpool for agreeing for me to use the salon space for Sunday’s event. Already the response has been incredible, I have really been overwhelmed by everybody that has donated to GYRO and shared the Instagram post.
"Some of the messages have really touched me."
