Sally’s candle sales raise £100 for our hospice
We recently had a £100 donation from one of our wonderful supporters, Sally Botting. When Frankie in our Fundraising Team spoke to Sally we found out a bit more behind her recent fundraising. It’s a lovely example of someone supporting us despite their own pandemic challenges so Sally agreed to share a bit more with you all.
“I found the latest lockdown very hard. I’m a hairdresser by trade, and once again after Christmas I had to close my salon
I’ve always worked. I started hairdressing at 14, and at my salon, the Hair Studio in Cowfold, I’m a one man band.
To suddenly have that all taken away was really hard. I’ve got no children or pets to look after and I was getting very low
I used to say to my husband, what I have got to get up for? I felt like I wasn’t needed anymore.
After 27 years of hairdressing, I’ve become like family with many of my clients
I was used to being an agony aunt figure to them, and to keeping busy helping and listening to them while I was doing their hair. I went from that to suddenly nothing. During lockdown, I kept in touch with my clients – I even offered to do some of their shopping for something to do.
The days felt like they were getting so long though.
After a couple of weeks of not feeling myself, I knew it was time to kick start myself again so after a very long, hard think, and looking long and hard on Amazon, I came up with the idea of candle making and wax melts
So Candle and melts made by Sally was born! I use soy wax, so my candles are eco friendly, and I use different fragrances and colours.
I’ve never done anything like this before
When I started giving away some of the results of my new hobby to friends and family to try they were so pleased with my efforts they were happy to pay, but I just felt that I wanted to help a charity.
St Catherine’s was the obvious choice. I’ve had very close clients pass at the hospice, and I’ve also really missed getting out with friends and doing the St Catherine’s Midnight Walk. I did it in 2019 with some of my clients and I still have my medal hanging in the lounge today
When I first started making my candles, I didn’t think I’d still be here months later doing it
But I kept ordering bits and bobs and it’s given me a reason to get up again in the morning. I’ve turned a bad situation into a good one, and I find making my candles and melts really relaxing despite it being completely different from my hairdressing.
I was so thrilled to be able to send St Catherine’s a cheque for £100 recently
I hope to raise more money in the future, and have all the right insurances to sell more of my candles and melts face to face and in my salon now we’ve opened again this week.
Now I’m able to work in my salon again, I’m making candles to order as I will have to see how I can fit it in around my hairdressing.
I’m very lucky that my hairdressing had the help of government grants, so I was more then happy to give my candle profit to St Catherine’s because I think it’s an amazing charity, and god forbid, you never know whether a loved one might need the hospice’s care one day.”
If you would like to find out more, or to place an order for a candle or wax melts and support our hospice at the same time please call Sally on her business line – 01403 865020.
