A hair stylist from Ringwood is on a mission to inspire hairdressers across the country to do something radical: give free haircuts to people who need them. Georgia Chappels knows a thing or two about needing help - a few years ago, after going through a divorce, she found herself in a "financial crisis" and relied on foodbanks and charities to support her family.

Now she runs the Community Haircuts project in Hampshire, a free drop-in service with no questions asked. "I can't give back monetary value into the community, but I can give back my time," Chappels said, in a statement that somehow manages to be both modest and quietly devastating.

Chappels and other stylists from the area have been running the project for a year, from several venues across Hampshire and Dorset. She hopes it will help anyone struggling while the cost of living continues to rise.

"The mum might work two jobs, the dad works full time. Yes, they've got a mortgage. Yes, they've got a car," she explained. "But the bills and everything after everything's gone - there's no money for luxuries such as a haircut." It's a pointed reminder that financial hardship doesn't always look like a headline; sometimes it looks like a split end you can't afford to fix.

And it isn't just for parents and their children - the service is for everyone and has been used by students and elderly members of the community too. Barber Thomas Perriman, who only recently started his career, has decided to give up some of his time to help out. "It's so important to give back when you've maybe gone through stuff yourself," he said. "Everyone in the community deserves to get their hair cut in an environment which, for whatever reason, they might not be able to get to normally."

Chappels still works in a salon four days a week, alongside the Community Haircut events held regularly. While they don't have the same facilities or products that may be used in a salon, the team aims to make it feel as luxury as possible - because nothing says dignity like a decent blow-dry, even if it's in a community hall.

Events are advertised on their Facebook page, and Chappels hopes to spread the word so other hair stylists offer their time to offer a similar service. "I would love to inspire other hairdressers up and down the country to maybe roll it out in their local community. It takes a couple of hours a month," she said. "The difference a haircut can make is it makes you feel like you again. It's more than just a haircut."

It's a sentiment that has already caught on elsewhere: teen barbers giving back with free haircuts, former academy pupils offering students free haircuts, barbers offering free back-to-school haircuts, and one barber giving the homeless free Christmas haircuts. Apparently, generosity is having a moment - and it looks good on everyone.