Here at Mama Mio we’re in full swing supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month. More people than ever are surviving this life-threatening disease, in part thanks to the valuable and continued support of you – the public – and your investment into worldwide Breast Cancer charities.
Every year, we donate £10,000 to the international cancer charity, Look Good Feel Better, in support of their ethos to improve women’s self-esteem, confidence and wellbeing – a philosophy that perfectly matches our own. Their dedicated workshops help to boost self-confidence and take some time for themselves.
We visited one of their workshops to see first-hand the valuable work they do, taking the time to chat with a few of the attendees and those running the event to get an insider-perspective.
Sarah Emerson has been working with Look Good Feel Better for three years, having volunteered in Newcastle before joining full time as a regional manager. We sat down with her to find out more about the workshops and what makes them so important for those that attend.
Why do you think the workshops are so important?
Because I think the preconception about the sessions is that it’s about makeup and appearance, but it’s not, it’s about confidence and helping women when they’re in a point in their lives where their self-confidence and self-esteem has quite often hit rock bottom… It’s not just what we do with them appearance-wise, it’s the fact that they get to sit in a room with ten other ladies who are in the exact same position as them right now… And at the same time, we get to give them two hours of pampering, so they go out looking a million dollars!
A bit of self-care…
Yes, we try and talk about that in the skincare, none of us are really great at doing what we preach in skincare… But for these ladies, skin can really be going through some detrimental changes, that can be redness, dryness, break outs – loads of different elements that can take place. We do try to say to them, if there’s any time in your life to look after your skin, this is it.
Have you got any advice for people if they want to get involved in the charity and volunteer, how would they do that?
Go on the website! If a patient wants to get onto a session, everything’s on there in terms of the local venues, booking numbers and how they can attend. If anyone wants to volunteer, that is what we’re desperate for.
If you’re not a trade makeup artist, what can you do?
Lots of different things. Fundraising would be amazing! We do ask for a minimum of one years’ experience as a makeup artist… Whether it’s college trained, brand trained or self-taught from running salons. We’re always looking for people to work with in the community to identify fundraising opportunities, whether it’s potential events or it could be salons that are happy to put a canister in and sell some facilitated items for us.
We have got a new volunteer role within The Confidence Club. This is a team of people that we’re hoping can support with things like talks and events… It’s called the Confidence Club because they’d have to be confident in getting in front of people and chatting, but it’s more about chatting about what we do, not having to come and do what we do.
It makes you feel good doesn’t it? Honestly, we’re all suffering in our own ways and you’ve got to treat yourself, so this is something just for you.Â
– An attendee
You can get involved in so many ways – volunteer to be a trained makeup artist or join the Confidence Club to help raise awareness, from representing the charity at trade shows to running a charity bucket at your local supermarket. Our very own Limited Edition Pregnancy Boob Tube has been especially developed to support the cause and raise awareness.
 