Polmont social enterprise helping women who need support

Community Wellbeing and Education CIC was set up by beauty professional Carol Hendrie in June 2021.

With 15 years experience in teaching beauty therapy in further education colleges, including Forth Valley, she wants to pass on her skills to give women, many of whom will have suffered domestic abuse, to access new opportunities and make friendships in a safe environment.

In 2018 she had set up her beauty training school at Haypark Business Centre in Polmont.

However, during the pandemic she decided to look at how she could help women who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t find it possible to access beauty training due to barriers including social and economic, as well as being abuse victims.

The Community Interest Company was registered last summer.

Carol, 42, said: “I want to help empower females to reduce isolation and improve mental health. This may be employment in the beauty/holistic or nail services industry or personal growth to improve self worth, self belief and confidence.”

She was encouraged about how much interest there was in the venture when a social media post attracted 13,000 views and she had 25 women who wanted to come along.

Her training programmes run for six to ten weeks for three hours per week.

Those taking part – there will be a maximum of ten in each group – will have the opportunity if they want to study for SQA or Guild of Beauty Therapist qualifications.

She has already received referrals through the Aberlour charity and Falkirk Council’s education and learning team.

Carol added: “It’s all about giving a woman the opportunity to learn a skill that will allow her to work if she wants. But for others it will be a change to meet other people and make friendships which their current circumstances might not allow.

Her task now is applying for grants and funding that will allow the CIC to continue and support more women.

“We want to be able to help as many as possible,” she added.

To find out more email [email protected] or call Carol on 07761 263 689.