Entrepreneur who beat ME gets £5k boost
A STUDENT entrepreneur has been awarded £5000 after being inspired by her health battle with ME to launch a complementary therapies business.
Saffron Mullen, a City of Glasgow College student, has launched Crocus Healing, which offers therapies such as Swedish massage, aromatherapy massage and reflexology, alongside stress management and lifestyle advice.
A successful application to The John Mather Trust has yielded a grant of £5000, which Saffron has used to purchase a new car so she can widen her reach and offer her services in more locations.
Working out of a base in Paisley, Saffron can now cover Renfrewshire, Glasgow and parts of Ayrshire thanks to the funding.
She said: “I began treating clients from premises in Paisley but couldn’t move forward with my business until I had extra finance.
“My main problem was transport, as I had a 16-yearold car that was falling apart.
“I wanted to be more mobile and take my business to work places, local charities and support groups for example. I hope to educate people and help them realise they can be more responsible for their illnesses and ailments.”
The 34-year-old former dental nurse, who completed an HND in Complementary Therapies at City of Glasgow College, was diagnosed with ME four years ago and found it hard to hold down a fulltime job.
She said: “I couldn’t work for about a year after being diagnosed. I wasn’t completely housebound but I could hardly move around without feeling like I was going to collapse. From there I decided to do some research. I thought it was a sign that my lifestyle would have to change.
“I want to use my own experiences to attract the kind of clients who are looking for help to recover from chronic illness.”