STYLIST Melanie Jennings has been making waves at Hereford’s Peter Prosser Hairdressing.

Melanie’s back from Romania where she worked with Unicef teaching children hairdressing skills.

Unicef has partnered with global cosmetic giant Wella on Making Waves – a programme that brings hairdressing training, mentoring and life skills education to vulnerable teenagers in emerging countries.

Melanie, from Ross-on-Wye, brought 10 years of experience at Peter Prosser to her application to join the programme earlier this year.

The success of that – which involved a judging panel – got her.

She was one of only seven stylists selected from around the world for

a team travelling to Romania to train children in hairdressing skills

Now back at the salon the waves made by Melanie come in the inspirational she brought back from Romania.

“ I saw so many things that will stay with me for the rest of my life and I would encourage anybody who is thinking of doing something similar to do it,” she said.

Wella recognised Melanie’s “passion and expertise” and paid particular tribute to her “positive energy” as “incredibly valuable” to the team’s success.

“Despite the unknown, she volunteered to be the first mentor to do a demonstration the first day in front of the class. She went out of her comfort zone to accomplish that and This was very important because she showed from the beginning the way to go to the entire group,” said Mehdi Shili from Wella Professionals – Global Making Waves Program Leader.

Peter Prosser said he was “delighted” for Melanie and what she had achieved.

“Her story is truly inspirational and I am incredibly proud of her,” he said.