National charity ‘Look Good Feel Better’ run free confidence-boosting skincare and make-up workshops for people undergoing cancer treatment. Sarah Addis, regional manager for the charity, recently visited Solihull College & University Centre to discuss a potential partnership with the College’s beauty department. The new ‘Aspire’ make-up studio at Blossomfield Campus has been offered up as a potential venue to hold teen and young adult (TYA) workshops, with the opportunity for staff and students to volunteer.
Working with a variety of cancer support centres and hospitals, the two-hour sessions are there to support patients receiving treatment for any type of cancer. Look Good Feel Better has been running for 24 years in the UK and is available in 26 countries across the world. Needing at least 300,000 beauty products to fulfil its commitments, the charity works with over 40 brands and companies who support in lots of ways including donating products.
The charity is well aware of the difficulty for patients to make friends in a hospital corridor and the classes offer them a chance to get together with others in the same situation. In an informal session, participants can be among a diverse group, getting the expert opinion of therapists and professionals on how to apply makeup. More importantly perhaps is the friendship aspect of the sessions, the shared experience of a group of people in the same situation, enjoying a few hours of escapism and respite.
‘For me, I went straight from studying beauty therapy at College to House of Fraser and then started working with the charity,’ Sarah states. ‘Charity work looks great on a CV and you can make great contacts with other industry leaders such as John Lewis and Selfridges.’ Most volunteers or assistants at the charity are recruited from makeup counters in department stores around the country.
Solihull College & University Centre’s new make-up studio can cater for up to 25 young adults. When Sarah came to visit the college she showed the students the bag of products attendees are given to use. As the charity is already working with L’Oréal to run a teen programme, the involvement with the College would be a wonderful overlap.
‘We need local beauty experts for local ladies to help rebuild their confidence’ Sarah states. ‘Connecting with the College and seeing their incredible studio we said lets run a young person workshop. I know the group will be in awe of the facilities and it’s a positive, exciting opportunity for the new year’.
Look Good Feel Better is hoping to recruit local beauty volunteers with a background in beauty to assist at the sessions. Volunteers must have 1 year experience in beauty. An application on the website is followed by a telephone conversation, online training, and finally an observation session. Volunteers must be over 18. Sessions are generally 2 hours and volunteers do not have to run sessions, just assist with a commitment to 3 sessions a year.
To volunteer with the charity please visit their website.
Find out more about Solihull College & University Centre’s Beauty Therapy courses.
