News

We’re delighted to be included in Women’s Fund for Scotland’s inaugural ‘Impact’ report. Access to Industry is 1 of just 10 charities to be featured in the report, selected from a total of 247 grants given during the period.

The grant that we received from Women’s Fund for Scotland was used to run online Beauty courses for vulnerable women with multiple barriers during lockdown. The online courses, including an industry accredited qualification, would have been unavailable without the funding support.

The popular course provided an introduction into the Beauty industry, taught over a mix of theory and practical, and delivered by a practicing Beauty Therapist who was also an experienced college lecturer. As well as offering a pathway into the industry, it helped participants to build skills and confidence, grow social networks, and improve their health and wellbeing.

The majority of students (87%) had multiple barriers. 41% were homeless, 47% had substance misuse problems, 47% mental health difficulties, 34% domestic abuse background, and 50% lack of confidence. The course enjoyed a high successful completion rate of 31 women, out of 32.

One student – a case study for the project – commented: “Overall it was a wonderful experience. I learnt a lot… The course lectures are very understandable, informative and beautifully delivered.” With the support of her caseworker, she applied for college, and started studying level 3 Beauty following completion of the course.

You can read the full report here and view Women’s Fund for Scotland’s dedicated Access to Industry page on the project here.