Social Enterprise Spotlight – ReMake Up CIC
Our newest Social Enterprise Spotlight is Pedro Santos and ReMake Up CIC – a social enterprise working to provide permanent make-up treatments for those who have been affected by ill-health or an offence, to bring back their confidence and self-esteem. Get in touch with Pedro at prosal200@caledonian.ac.uk or for general enquiries glasgow@remakeup.org – check out www.remakeup.org and their list of services. Connect with them on Twitter too. Read and share their Q&A interview below!
Every few weeks we focus on a randomly selected social enterprise member for intense marketing support and promotion. ReMake Up CIC will feature in all e-bulletins, on our website homepage and on all our social media, alongside other support, reaching thousands of people across Scotland and beyond. Want to star in the Spotlight? Email chris.mack@socialenterprise.scot
What’s your social and/or environmental mission? ReMake Up benefits people with skin transformations that resulted from an accident, self-harm, an offence, health condition or from birth. This includes, but not exclusively, people affected by scars, burns, stretch marks, alopecia or cancer, supporting their aftercare.
How do you do it? (Client group, practical daily work, customers) ReMake Up provides Permanent Make-Up services as an allied health solution, supporting people regaining their confidence and building their self-esteem, when recovering from loss of hair due to alopecia or cancer, reconstructing nipple & areola after breast surgery due to cancer, etc. We aim to start training further technicians to offer a network of providers throughout Scotland and beyond.
What’s your personal motivation for being a social entrepreneur? I’ve been involved in the sector since 2011 in an advisory capacity, and since 2015 upon finishing my MSc. in Social Business & Microfinance with GCU, it was my drive to set up a social enterprise. ReMake Up developed from an old aspiration of my wife Cristina and I. We had the belief that Permanent Make-Up could have a huge social impact on the lives of clients.
What are your current projects? We are now open in Glasgow Central Chambers, with our main initiative: “Stroke 4 Stroke”. For every paying customer, ReMake Up offers a free medical Permanent Make Up procedure to patients who cannot afford treatments and have one of the following health conditions; Alopecia (loss of eyebrows), Cancer (areola & nipple reconstruction), scars or burns from an accident, an offense, etc.
What exciting things do you have coming up? We have recently received grant support from UNLTD, which has allowed us to promote “Giving Fridays”. Every last Friday of the month, starting on the 28th of April 2017, we will accept bookings for our free Medical Permanent Make-Up procedures. Interested in receiving a treatment, sponsoring a treatment or just want to know more? Please get in touch.
Who do you want to work with more? We see our project as part of a wider solution to symptoms originating in health conditions. We know that Permanent Make-Up can have a real impact on well-being, including mental health. Therefore, we welcome referrals from any organisation engaging with patients recovering from cancer, Alopecia, self-harm etc, and we certainly aim to work more with the NHS.
What’s your biggest challenge? Despite the existence of Permanent Make-Up Practices in NHS Glasgow and Tayside for alopecia and cancer patients, the evidence of the need, impact and how Permanent Make-Up can be part of the Aftercare process is still minimal. This is the biggest barrier to promote what we do and how it has a real social impact.
What top tips would you give to other social enterprises? The first tip it would be DO NOT GIVE UP: if you truly believe in your project and are positive about your aims, you will get there. Build your networks: there is no such thing as enough when it comes to networking. Finally, share your ideas: allow people to point out your weaknesses and to give you suggestions, it will make your project much stronger.