A brave Gateshead woman has overcome all the odds to build up a booming beauty business thanks to employment charity Shaw Trust.
Seven months after the launch of her own beauty business Sundial & Beauty on a busy shopping street in Dunston, Gateshead, Colette Webster can barely believe how her life has turned around.
It would have been easy for Colette to give up the idea of ever working again after a terrible beating 11 years ago left her permanently handicapped with epilepsy and unable to carry on a nursing career.
But the 30 year old single mum was determined to work again and spent the next seven years struggling to complete a one day a week beauty course while bringing up her son Richard, only to find once qualified that no-one wanted to employ her.
"As soon as employers saw the word epilepsy on my application form that was it. Even though it is under control now and I only have fits while asleep, no-one would even give me a chance", she said.
"I got more and more depressed and my self esteem dropped to zero. I felt I was being discriminated against but it wasn't my fault."
"I was trying to open doors but they were getting slammed in my face," added Colette, whose luck changed 18 months ago when she heard about Shaw Trust's newly expanded Job Broking service at Ellison Street in Gateshead. "Barbara at Shaw Trust gave me advice on my options put me in contact with lots of people who helped me set up my own business, she phoned me, encouraged me and helped me every step of the way."
"She's taken a real interest in me as a person, in my health and my life and made me feel like a human being again instead of just someone with a handicap that nobody wanted," Colette said.
Now Colette's business which she runs in partnership with her sister-in-law Angela Webster, has really taken off and is proving so successful she is applying for a Prince's Trust Award.
"Getting this business off the ground has been one of my biggest challenges, but I'm over the final hurdle and it feels great.
"I'm getting my life together again and I'm back in the human race. I'm walking around with my head held high but I know I wouldn't be here without the help of Shaw Trust.
For more information about Shaw Trust's NDDP Job Broker Programme call Freephone Number 0800 085 1001
