Mary Pugsley MBE is Founder & Director of Hair At The Academy, a unique training salon that provides vulnerable young people and adults with vocational education centred around inclusivity and support. Mary works predominantly with those who are in care, homeless, seeking asylum, have a learning disability or mental ill health and experience significant barriers to their learning and opportunities.

Since starting The Academy in 2004, Mary and her team have supported thousands of students in gaining qualifications that have changed the course of their futures – leading them on a path to further education and employment. In 2019, Mary’s passion and dedication for helping vulnerable people was officially recognised with an MBE in the New Years Honours list. More recently, she took the title of ‘Exceptional Educator’ at The Collective Pride Awards 2022, a programme run by mental wellbeing and suicide prevention charity  The Lions Barber Collective that recognises the hard work of unsung hair and beauty heroes across the UK.