So many businesses have been impacted by the pandemic and, unfortunately, many of them will not reopen when it is over.
One of the hardest-hit industries is the hair and beauty sector. Considered close contact, they have been forced to close for the majority of the past year, leaving many struggling to survive and, yet again, many won't.
However, last August, world-renowned skincare expert Caroline Hirons set up the Beauty Backed fundraising initiative to support those in the industry who have been directly impacted by the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
It raised over £600,000 and the petition inspired just shy of 30,000 signatures to accompany a letter to Boris Johnson that made the case to "bring beauty back".
This push helped support the work of the British Beauty Council and BABTAC to ensure the frontline Beauty industry reopened on August 18, 2020.
To ensure the money raised went to those who needed it most, Caroline created a trust and formed a board and team around it, made up the most prestigious and experienced people from across the British beauty industry.
And now their "Back To Work" campaign will help provide the vital supplies and support independent beauty businesses and entrepreneurs need as they prepare to reopen throughout April.
Aimed at helping independent beauty businesses – from self employed make-up artists, facialists, aestheticians or beauty entrepreneurs, the Trust is inviting beauty professionals across Northern Ireland who are in need of stock, PPE, tools, kit or financial support to get in touch.
Caroline said: "Despite the beauty industry contributing more than £2billion to the British economy each year, the Trustees of Beauty Backed Trust believe it is all too often overlooked and ignored.
"Beauty has an 88% female workforce and 82% of business owners are women – and many of these are the sole providers in their families.
"The British Beauty Council reported that around two-thirds of their members' salons have run out of cash reserves and are in debt, while half of business owners have been forced to use up their personal savings over the past few months.
"Full time employment in beauty is down 21% on 2019 levels
and the industry has lost 10-20% of its workforce due to closures and redundancies
"The Beauty Backed Trust has also heard from women across the industry who have resorted to food banks throughout this past year due to the lack of financial support.
"So we are inviting beauty professionals across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who are in need of stock or financial support to contact us via the form on the website www.beautybacked.com
