Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some differences that you have lived and lived well”.

The co-operative model has always focused on putting people first rather than maximising profit. Members of a co-operative believe in promoting ethical values such as honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others to make a difference in the community that they live in.  

It is precisely because of this need to better the lives of others that Singapore’s first hairdressing co-operative, Helmet and The Penguin (HATP), is formed. 

Ms Delia Yang and Mr Ritz Tng are professional hairstylists by training and have a hair salon, Salon Social.  They were looking for a business model that can do well and do good at the same time.

After several meetings with SNCF to have a better understanding of the co-operative model, Delia and Ritz feel that the co-operative model of promoting the values of self-help and care for community align with their vision of doing well and doing good.

On 17 February 2020, HATP was registered with a social mission to provide highly affordable haircuts by professional hairstylists to senior citizens at nursing homes, saving them the hassle of travelling to the hair salon. HATP also aims to provide vocational training and employment opportunities to single mothers, disadvantaged youths, people with disabilities as well as ex-offenders. 

For the next three years, HATP will adopt a pop-up store format, enabling the co-operative to move to any location at any time. This is to make it more convenient to customers. 

On behalf of Singapore Co-operative Movement, Singapore National Co-operative Federation welcomes HATP to the co-operative community and looks forward to HATP joining the co-operatives to do good and do well for the community.