Musician backs LSBU barbershop blood pressure checks
Musician Seye Adelekan has thrown his support behind London South Bank University (LSBU)’s community barbershop initiative, urging Black men to “take control of our own health” by getting their blood pressure checked.
The bassist – who performs with Gorillaz amongst other bands – spoke candidly about the stigma, distrust and low visibility of physical health issues within Black communities.
“I think people don't talk about blood pressure much because, especially amongst men, maybe amongst Black men as well, there's a stigma of weakness,” he said. “Talking about something like high blood pressure implies there's something wrong with you, which a lot of people don't want to get into.”
As part of the project’s expansion, LSBU is now looking for community champions to train in carrying out blood pressure checks in their own neighbourhoods. The training is open to barbers, faith leaders, volunteers and anyone who wants to help make health checks more accessible in local community spaces.
A trusted space for lifesaving conversations
Seye said LSBU’s choice of barbershops as a setting for health checks made the project particularly powerful.
“I love the idea of this barbershop project,” he said. “The barbershop is such a community hub in the Black community…there’s something quite intimate about getting your hair cut by someone. You can get past someone’s defences, past somebody’s barriers.”
His comments echo the findings of LSBU’s pilot project led by Professor Nicola Thomas, which brought free blood pressure checks into three Croydon barbershops in partnership with the Croydon BME Forum. The project aims to reach men most at risk of high blood pressure but least likely to be diagnosed.
In the UK, millions of adults have high blood pressure – and around one in three don’t know it. It is more common among Black and Asian men and can silently lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and some forms of dementia.
Thanks to new funding, the initiative now goes beyond early detection. Men with raised readings are connected to the Croydon BME Forum’s Wellness Centre and local pharmacies for ongoing checks and personalised health advice, helping the research team track long‑term behaviour change.
Professor Thomas said: “By placing health checks in familiar and trusted neighbourhood settings, we are making early detection genuinely accessible. A simple trip to the barbers can open the door to a lifesaving conversation.”
The scheme’s success has inspired other London boroughs, with Lewisham preparing to launch its own version and LSBU now working with Blood Pressure UK to share the model with wider community groups.
Reflecting on why some Black men may avoid healthcare settings, Seye highlighted a “lack of trust” and wider social barriers including class, visibility and education. “If you're not going to get your eyes tested and your teeth checked, you're not going to go get your blood pressure done,” he said.
His message to Black men is simple and practical: “Just check your blood pressure. It doesn’t cost you much, and by that, I mean time nor money, and there's something I think we can gain in terms of confidence. We need to take control of our own health. We have autonomy and we deserve to have good health.”
Find out more information about training to become a community blood pressure champion.