Ruby Tuesday

HAIR and beauty experts have made sharing their expertise - and their enthusiasm - a key part of their business.

Owners of Ruby Tuesday salon, on Finkle Street, in Kendal, have been shortlisted for the Training and Development Award.

Denise Thompson and Nichola Chapman have made it their personal principle to pass on knowledge to students at several different levels of development.

The business partners both work as full-time assessors at Kendal College and open their salon doors to NVQ students.

This year, they have guided work experience students from Settlebeck School, in Sedbergh, and they soon plan to employ their first apprentice.

All staff benefit from regular on-site training from top beauty brand Wella, as well as coaching from more experienced employees.

Ms Thompson has a degree in education from the University of Central Lancashire, is a master colour expert and is a lecturer at Kendal College.

The 36-year-old said it was ‘vital’ that anyone in the hair and beauty industry received good quality input as they developed their skills.

“Both of us realise that if you want to keep up with competitors then you need to keep up to date with training.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t been to salons where they take it seriously.”

Her business partner Ms Chapman is a supply lecturer at Kendal College and also has a certificate in education.

The 34-year-old added: “The pleasure you get from this job is something you want to see enjoyed by others. You want your knowledge to flow on to other people.

“I had a bad experience in an early placement. I was told I would never make a hairdresser and that memory stuck. When I went back to college my trainers they said that was rubbish. I went on to prove to myself that it was absolutely possible.

“It’s nice to be the encouraging one. We have had parents come in to say they have been converted to hairdressing.”

Wax Lyrical

A HOME fragrance firm has offered each member of its 130-strong workforce the chance to go back to class.

Wax Lyrical, based in Lindal-in-Furness, pays for employees to study maths and English to GCSE level, and gives them the opportunity to do an NVQ.

The business is currently putting five staff through business administration apprenticeships in partnership with Furness College. These employees will be supported through further study at university.

Mike Armstead took over the failing enterprise in 2006 and, with the help of three co-owners, changed Colony Candles’ name and its fortunes.

It is now the UK’s largest home fragrance company, with offices and a factory site at London Road, Lindal-in-Furness, and a warehouse at Sowerby Woods, in Barrow.

The firm was saved from the brink of administration in 2006 and now produces healthy profits and deals with major brands Sainsburys, Boots, and Tescos.

Wax Lyrical, which was founded as Colony Candles, now exports its range to more than 40 countries and retails through its own website.

In the next three years, the company will invest £2m in equipment, IT and staff development.

Directors at Wax Lyrical, which manufactures candles, reed diffusers, room sprays and accessories, have made staff training a key part of their approach to business.

Mr Armstead said he was ‘delighted to offer as much training as people want to take’. He added: “Whether it is NVQs, GCSEs or other professional qualifications - I don’t think we’ve ever turned people down.

“Qualified people add value to the business. I’m not a total philanthropist - the better employees perform the better the company will do. Training helps retain staff too.”

Growing Well

GROWING Well is no stranger to awards ceremonies. A year ago the organisation was named the best rural enterprise in Britain. Before that it had won sutainable farming, social enterprise and social vision awards.

The organisation, based at Low Sizergh Farm near Kendal, was founded eight years ago to provide local people with mental health problems with an ‘effective, supportive and inclusive’ community that enables recovery within a range of activities in its organic growing business..

The team members farm 10 acres under Soil Association organic certification, growing a wide range of seasonal produce, which is sold to local people through a Cropshare scheme as well as to local shops and cafes.

Participants volunteer their time within three different teams - horticulture, administration and education. Their placements are usually funded by organisations such as Social Services, the NHS or Jobcentre Plus.

Co-founder and manager Beren Aldridge developed the Growing Well idea after Low Sizergh Farm advertised for someone to grow vegetables that could be sold in the Low Sizergh Barn farmshop. At the time, he was working with a rural social enterprise development project hosted by Action for Communities in Cumbria.

“Growing Well’s entire ethos is based on developing the skills and confidence of our volunteers and students,” said Mr Aldridge. “So far this year 10 volunteers have achieved horticultural qualifications with us, three have achieved tractor driving qualifications and we have had three student groups conclude in recent weeks, all with qualifications at level one.”

Growing Well trains students on the site at Low Sizergh Farm and in its yurt-based classroom, as well as using the grounds of nearby Sizergh Castle.

“We also run a highly successful programme of visits to the farm, linked to the national curriculum, for schools and community groups around the region. The visits, which are structured for all age groups, with a speciality in primary classes, focus on food growing and physical and mental wellbeing.

“Growing Well is a nationally recognised example of how a social enterprise can work with local business - in this case Low Sizergh Farm - to bring benefit to the wider community.”