Opel Supports Hair Together with Vivaro Van Donation

Published on 10 July, 2025

Award-winning Ballymun social enterprise Hair Together receives new Opel Vivaro van

Overview

Opel Ireland has donated a brand new Vivaro van to Hair Together, a Ballymun-based social enterprise that’s changing lives through hairstyling, barbering, and personal development. The initiative, founded by hair industry veteran and social entrepreneur Eileen McHugh, works with young people and women in North Dublin who have experienced social exclusion, unemployment, addiction or time in the justice system.

The Vivaro will be used over the next six months to help the organisation grow as it prepares to open its first permanent home on Ballymun’s Main Street this September. This new HQ will serve as a full-time salon, training centre and community hub — and will become the world’s first trading-for-impact hairdressing academy.

Eileen, who overcame addiction in her youth to enjoy an international career in hair design, set up Hair Together in 2020 with a mission to offer real-world skills and confidence to the most vulnerable in her community. Since then, more than 260 people have graduated from the programme. Her efforts have earned widespread recognition, including the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Impact Award and most recently, Social Entrepreneur of the Year for Community Impact at the 2025 Image PwC Businesswoman of the Year Awards.

“Since its inception, Hair Together has empowered hundreds of young people from Ballymun, and women who have experienced prison,” said Eileen. “By offering hairstyling, barbering, and personal development training, the initiative equips them with the practical skills and confidence needed to pursue meaningful educational and employment opportunities.”

The Opel Vivaro will be a vital support tool as the team expands its offering, helping with everything from equipment transport to corporate event set-ups. “I am beyond grateful for the use of the Opel Vivaro workhorse,” said Eileen. “It will assist us greatly every day in our busy lives.”

Hair Together is currently launching a new corporate team-building service — already booked by AIB, Deloitte and leading motor distributor Gowan Auto — where groups can engage in hairstyling-themed workshops while supporting the social enterprise. The initiative is backed by Rethink Ireland and a range of philanthropic donors.

For more information or to support the programme, contact [email protected].

Sinead McCann

Sinéad is our resident car tester who has the unenviable (-ok, slightly enviable) task of reviewing all the latest new cars to hit the market. You can follow her on Twitter @smcani and on Instagram @whatshedrives