A male salon boss has opened up his premises to breastfeeding mums - whether they are clients or not.
The salon is due to be presented with an award from St Helen's council for the service.
The council also plans to provide 'baby packs' to the salon to make mums more comfortable.
Rob Stacey, 52, decided to throw his salon doors open in in St Helens, Merseyside, to mums and their newborns after seeing a petition with 37,000 signatures by a local mum Colleen Halsall .
Colleen, 26, called for an "appropriate space where mothers can feed our babies with ease and comfort," rather than the changing rooms and toilets she claims are all that is available.
Rob, a father of three who also has two young grandchildren, came to the rescue immediately, offering to open his two Be Beautiful hair and beauty salons up to passing mums as comfortable places they could breastfeed.
He will offer mums the use of salon sofas or a private room if they request it, complete with special lighting, relaxing music and tea and biscuits.
Rob said: "I didn't realise it was such a problem for mums because I am so used to seeing them breastfeeding in the salon. It's completely natural here.
"I'm used to seeing mums sitting on the salon sofa and breastfeeding while having a chat with the salon staff and I wouldn't bat an eyelid.
"When I saw the petition, it just hit me because we have always done that kind of thing in our salon anyway so I thought I'll open the salon up to mums who need to use it."
Mums using the salon as a space to breastfeed will not have to be clients or buy any of the products or treatments on offer.
Rob said: "The mums are quite welcome to come in our salon any time they like and they can use the big leather sofa or pedicure chair.
"If they would prefer a private room they can use one of the beauty rooms. Obviously there will be no charge. Any mum passing who needs the facilities can come in and use it."
In her petition, Colleen describes the 'struggles' many St Helens mums face in finding comfortable, breastfeeding-friendly spots in the area, with many having to feed their babies in 'unpleasant places'.
After speaking to fed-up local mums, Rob found that breastfeeding facilities were not up to scratch.
Rob said: "I just thought: you wouldn't eat your food in a toilet, so why would you expect a baby to? There are probably dirty nappies all over the place too and people knocking on the door to change their baby."
"A salon and hairdressers is the ideal environment for breastfeeding mums, I think, because it's relaxed, well-lit and the beauty rooms are especially comfortable; they are rooms where treatments take place so they have ambient lighting, relaxing music and adjustable beds."
He hit back at those who claim it is just a marketing ploy.
Rob said: "It might bring us more business and, if it does, that's great, but that's not what we set out to do.
"What does it cost to make someone a biscuit and a drink? It costs us nothing to help these mums and we are happy to do it."
According to Rob, the response had been overwhelming.
Rob said: "We've had a lot of breastfeeding mums thanking us. One of our clients said under the Facebook post we made about the service that they were pleased with our salon for working the breastfeeding around her having her colour put on."
"We are a family friendly salon. We have lots of mums in kids in and do lots for charity. A couple of us did 'tough mudder' charity recently; we had to get through an assault course full of mud!
"In St Helens you want to feel like you're part of the community and enriching the community and that's what we try to do."
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/male-salon-boss-opens-doors-7637208
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