South Lancashire’s Soroptimists focussed on women’s opportunities at their summer meeting.
Hayley Darroch explained how her company – Funding Futures – is transforming the lives of many women.
This initiative grew from her own career in the beauty industry and a realisation that some ‘qualifications’ were worth little more that the paper the certificates were written on. In 2021, through contact with high schools in Bolton and Wigan, Hayley recognised that young women from personally-challenging backgrounds could benefit massively from high quality training opportunities.
Funding Futures CIC developed from this idea. As a ‘social value initiative’, it offers women the means to grow their careers in the beauty industry, develop transferable skills and be supported long-term.
Various training programmes last from 6 to 10 weeks. They cover, for example, wellbeing and skills – including digital competence, budgeting and confidence-building – plus practical beauty treatments. Mentoring is built into the programmes. Dozens of disadvantaged women – of all ages – have now been engaged and empowered through the company.
The Soroptimists responded to Hayley’s presentation with a range of questions. She was therefore able to expand on Funding Futures’ current work – and to outline plans for expansion in order to be able to offer yet more opportunities.
Region Programme Action Officers Yvonne Gibbon and Denise Parker organised the session. They were delighted with members’ response and congratulated Hayley on her valuable work which shows that beauty is so much more than skin deep.