A natural way to get people back to work
ONE could not imagine a better location for Purist Natural Beauty social enterprise than the beautiful and relaxing surroundings of Cockington village.
Located in Cockington Court, Purist fits in perfectly with all the other charming little shops and craft studios in the building. In an age when many of us value eco-friendly, organic products and try to live in harmony with the environment, at Purist they share the belief that "all-natural is best" – their natural, free from chemicals soaps and body products are all made locally by hand using natural ingredients which, where possible, are locally sourced. Many visitors to Cockington Court, however, are probably not aware that Purist is not just a sweet-smelling, charming little shop – it's also a training centre, supporting local people, giving them a chance to learn new skills and progress to paid employment or further education.
The idea of forming Purist came after a successful four-month pilot programme, organised by Groundwork South West for local residents from the Foxhole area, which aimed to produce and trial a range of natural hand-made soap and body products, with a view of developing a business model for a social enterprise.
Claire Mitchell, Purist's managing director, is clearly enthusiastic about the enterprise and believes it makes a difference to many local people, who after a few weeks of training are able to change their lives.
She says: "We help the long-term unemployed, stay-at-home mums who would like to get back into work, young people, disadvantaged people... "By offering free training to an NVQ level in a pleasant, relaxing environment, we help them not only to gain valuable work experience and new skills, they leave us more confident, with better social skills and prepared to progress into employment or further education. I feel we give them a new lease of life."
"At Purist we also support local economy," she adds. "We employ local people, use natural ingredients that are locally sourced (for example the flowers we use come from Dartmouth) and all our profits are used to provide more workshops and train more local people or invested in other related community projects."
"We offer well-made, original beauty products. They are unique in the fact that they are all made by hand on site, using ingredients that are bought from companies with a good fair trade and environmental policy. In addition, our products are not tested on animals and are suitable for people with sensitive skin and also vegans, as no animal byproducts are used in the production."
The range of beauty products made by Purist include hand-made cold pressed soaps, bath blasters, bath melts, natural lip balms and hand and body lotions – all free from chemicals including SLS, parabens, petrochemicals, artificial colours and artificial fragrances. What makes Purist stand out is the possibility of watching the products being made on the premises – the customers can watch the whole process of production in the retail environment and then purchase products.
Working closely with Jackie Francis, Purist co-founder, and the board of directors, Claire takes her responsibilities for managing the enterprise, administration, trainee recruitment, event planning and accounts. While she faithfully deals with paperwork and carries out her other duties, Claire's job does have a fun side, which allows her to be creative and interact with employees and trainees on a frequent, more casual basis. She says: "I try to keep at least one day a week free when I come downstairs to the shop, help with soap making, interact with customers and trainees."
Claire has learned a great deal since forming Purist in 2008. After a few years of working in bars, restaurants and in an off-licence shop, she decided to go back to college and completed a NVQ course in business studies. And despite not being a fan of paperwork, she cannot imagine working anywhere else and finds her role as Purist's managing director very exciting and rewarding: "I do find paperwork a bit of a challenge and I know I spend too much time in the office. However, seeing the company develop gives me a great sense of achievement and the satisfaction of a job well done."
As much as she likes the creative side of her job, Claire is clearly enthusiastic about the social side of her job as well. "I feel I can be myself at Purist – I am a very chatty, happy person and love interacting with others and meeting new people. Working at Purist is very relaxing and fun."
She also clearly has much admiration for Purist's current and former trainees. "I enjoy seeing them change, becoming more confident, gaining self-belief and a sense of self-worth. Many of our trainees moved on to paid employment, some went to university. We would have happily kept so many former trainees, but it's so rewarding knowing that we helped them to improve their lives."
Claire is originally from the Brixham, but lived in Tenerife and Spain in her 20s before finally settling in Paignton. She is extremely close to her family, who still live in Brixham and would like to move back there in the future. "I love Brixham," she says. "Unfortunately, property prices in Brixham are too high at present."
Currently living in Paignton, she is also a proud member of the Blatchombe Family Association. The group organises various activities for children and young people from the Foxhole area of Paignton, such as Halloween Parties, fun days, Christmas parties. "Many young people struggle to find something to do with their free time and we offer them exciting activities. We work with them in small, friendly groups, because we believe that youths are often not-so-keen on the idea of a bigger youth club."
Asked about her future plans and hopes, Claire says: "I see my future at Purist and would love the enterprise to expand – open new branches, possibly in town and be able to offer more training placements for local people helping them to achieve their aims in life."
ANIA BLOMBERG-GAHAN
For information about soapmaking workshops, free training courses and NVQ courses offered contact Purist on 01803 606410 or visit the shop at The Old Rangers Office, Cockington Court, Cockington, Torquay. Further details about Purist’s product range, opening times and training opportunities can be found at www.puristnatural beauty.co.uk
Article written for and taken from www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk